Time To Go
by lickitysplit
Summary: When Kyrie goes missing, Nero goes on a desperate search to find her. Unfortunately, Dante and Vergil go too. Lots of Sparda boys shenanigans, fighting demons, a smattering of family drama, and male bonding. Otherwise known as Nero's worst nightmare. Set a few years post-DMC 5. Now complete!
1. An Unexpected Surprise

**Summary: **When Kyrie goes missing, Nero goes on a desperate search to find her. Unfortunately, Dante and Vergil go too. Lots of Sparda boys shenanigans, fighting demons, a smattering of family drama, and male bonding. Otherwise known as Nero's worst nightmare. Set a few years post-DMC 5

**A/N: **Thank you for reading! This is my first DMC fic and I am SO excited to be publishing! I hope you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Please feel free to drop a comment or even an emoji to let me know what you think.

Special thanks to my beta, copper_wasp, who really made this story great. And thank you to solynacea for introducing me to DMC and letting me ramble about these three dummies.

The story is written so new chapters will go up every Friday!

* * *

The house is blessedly quiet. Nero stretches his legs out on the bed, the light from the television casting his bedroom in a faint glow. It had been a long day at the end of an even longer week, and his eyes close halfway as he dozes, the tips of his hair still a bit damp from the shower.

Demon hunting had not been a particularly lucrative career path, but it had picked up considerably this week. Nico had guessed it was because of Halloween coming up at the end of the month, which was probably true. But Nero didn't care, as long as the money kept coming in. With the Holy Knights disbanded, he was now the main protector in Fortuna, scoring a contract with the city to be on-call. Yet even with the contract money, new clothes and school supplies for the kids had put some strain on the already tight budget, so he is pleased enough with the extra work.

Balancing all that with his responsibilities at home takes its toll, however. They have six foster children now full-time, and Kyrie is busy herself with her work in the community, due to her recent appointment to the board of the charity that had been established in the aftermath of the Order's collapse. The wealth they had amassed now goes to helping the people affected by the destruction they caused, and Nero is beyond proud of her for such a prestigious position. It has made her an important figure in the community, but the credibility she lends to the Devil May Cry office does mean more work for him at home.

He is nearly asleep despite it being relatively early when there is a soft knock on the door. Nero sits up a bit when it opens, and smiles to see Kyrie peek her head inside. "You still awake?" she whispers.

"Yeah." She steps inside and closes the door, and he pats the mattress next to him. "Come over."

Kyrie gives a laugh as she climbs onto the bed. She settles against his side as Nero wraps his arm around her waist, immediately dipping down to press a kiss to her lips. They spend another minute or two just like this, kissing slowly, his hand pressed to her back as her arm slides around him.

They break apart and she lays her head on his shoulder. "Are you tired?"

"A bit, yeah. Had a chase today." He yawns and squeezes her closer. "Everything good downstairs?"

"Mm hmm. Kids are asleep. Dishes are away. Laundry's folded." Her voice is so soothing that Nero turns his face towards her, and he can feel her lips brushing against his cheek. "Nico went out for a bit. I think she might have a boyfriend."

"Good for her." They fall into a comfortable silence as Nero strokes her hair, which she has let grow down her back. Eventually she will get up and go back to her room, but for now he enjoys having her pressed against him—so much so that when her hand slips under his t-shirt, Nero almost doesn't notice.

Her warm palm glides over his chest, and when her fingers brush his ribs he gives a startled laugh. "That tickles," he murmurs, kissing her nose.

He expects her to laugh in return, or maybe to remove her hand. Instead she rolls her body so she is on top of him, and Nero snaps out of his half-asleep state to look up in surprise. Her long hair falls over one shoulder as she straddles his hips, her hands pressing lightly against his shoulders. "_Kyrie...?_" he asks, his brows going up.

She leans down and kisses him, her lips soft and perfect against his. Immediately his hands go to her thighs, dragging up to her waist, his fingers curling into her shirt. Kyrie uses one hand to stroke his jaw as she rolls her tongue against his, making Nero groan. They have made out like this before, loads of times, but always stopping before it goes too far: never more than some petting over their clothes, bodies rocking together to chase something out of reach. But Kyrie had told him she wanted to wait, and he was fine with that, especially once she had made it clear she was waiting for _him._ Plus, deep down he was scared of the next step: scared of hurting her, scared of disappointing her, scared of not being ready. It never made stopping any easier though, and when they would go to their separate bedrooms, he would lay in the dark and think about her and fight off the urge to take care of himself before eventually giving in with her name on his lips.

They are both panting when she pulls away to nuzzle her nose against his. Nero swallows, trying to fight back the erection that is tenting uncomfortably under his jeans and praying she doesn't notice. "I love you," she whispers.

"I love you too." Nero tilts his face up to press their lips together again. Kyrie returns the kiss eagerly, her sudden enthusiasm again catching him off-guard. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just…" She sinks down a bit, their chests pressed together, her hips moving in a way that has her center settled right over his. Nero lets out a soft moan, feeling frozen, wanting her so badly he could taste it.

"You just...?" he prompts breathlessly.

Kyrie laughs. "I just… I thought that I might be… _ready_."

"Ready?" he echoes, his voice tight.

She nods. Then she rocks her hips, grinding down against the bulge underneath, and Nero's eyes go wide. "Oh. _Oh._ Oh? I mean, really?"

"Yeah." Her lips brush against his again. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah! I mean, yeah?" Kyrie kisses his cheek as his heart pounds in his chest. "You're sure? You said you wanted to wait…"

"We've waited." She meets his gaze, and there is something in her eyes that burns him. "I've been thinking about this. We're going to get married, right?"

Nero clears his throat. "Yeah. I mean, I want to, for sure. I-I've wanted to ask—"

Kyrie laughs again. "It's okay. So much has happened in the past few years, but now… I'm happy with you, Nero. I love our family. And I think I'm ready."

He is speechless, his face on fire from her confession. He shivers when she brushes a finger across his cheek again, and then she sits up on his thighs. Nero leans up on his elbows but before he can ask his question, Kyrie pulls her shirt over her head and tosses it away.

Nero gapes at her for a moment before he realizes his mouth is hanging open. He sits up quickly, wrapping one arm around her small waist, and pulls her against him. With his eyes steady on her he presses his lips to her collarbone as his free hand cups her breast, and the way she licks her lips has him stretching up to capture her mouth again. The kiss they share is passionate, making him ache for her, her body perfect in his hands. Kyrie tugs his shirt off next which he eagerly obliges, and both are moaning quietly at the feeling of skin against skin, her soft body against his hard one.

He shakes in anticipation when Kyrie pulls back enough to remove the rest of her clothes. Nero pulls his own off, and he enjoys the look on her face as she looks over the lean muscle of his body almost as much as he enjoys her lovely curves. They morph into a tangle of limbs as their hands move feverishly over one another, barely breathing as they kiss again and again. Her touch on his back, his hips, stroking his stomach and his thighs before tentatively brushing along his hard length drive him mad. Nero' heart pounds feeling her fleshy hips and her slender legs that wrap around him, seeing the perfectly flushed nipples that harden under his kiss, and hearing her sighs when he leaves open-mouthed kisses on her neck.

Her fingers dig into his shoulders when he begins to grind against her, and Nero can barely take the feel of her body, hot and wet and silky. Slowly he moves, his gaze glued to her face, reading for when discomfort turns to pleasure until Kyrie pulls him down into a slow kiss. She rocks her hips to meet his, tugging on his lower lip when he gives a choked cry. His hips press flush against her thighs, leaving her panting, his own arms trembling with effort to keep himself from thrusting hard and deep and losing himself inside of her.

Kyrie ends up on top, setting the pace and the depth for her own comfort; but in the end it is still too much. Soon and almost without warning Nero erupts inside of her, choking on her name as he thrusts upwards. He shakes as she slowly grinds against him, and when it is finally over she moves off of his body and slips to lay next to him as he weakly holds her close.

Her lips brush his forehead as he presses his face to her neck. "Oh, Kyrie," Nero sighs. Curiously, his hand moves between her legs, wanting to touch her. "That was—"

She gasps and arches against him, cutting him off. Nero does it again, grazing his fingertips along her slit, spreading the moisture there over her sex. Kyrie grabs his wrist as she spreads her thighs, holding his fingers still, and he watches in amazement as she falls apart under his touch. His pulse beats in his ears with her little gasps of pleasure, and when it is over it is her turn to press her mouth to his neck with a shaky breath.

Nero murmurs her name, his arms tight around her. They lay on their sides, holding one another, and he can feel the flutter of her eyelashes against his shoulder. "I love you," he says.

Kyrie runs her hand down his arm. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"Every night," he answers.

Her eyes close and he watches her doze until his own tiredness takes over. For the first time in a long time he feels utterly relaxed and content, Kyrie's breathing next to him calming. Once more he notices how peaceful the house is, and his last thoughts before falling asleep are of her.

* * *

Dante is half asleep in his chair when the door to the Devil May Cry bangs open. He jolts a bit, cracking one eye open to see Nero standing in the doorway. "Don't you knock?" he calls over semi-playfully.

"Kyrie—is she here?" Nero strides inside, looking around, hopping down the steps to the main floor.

With a frown Dante sits up, pulling his feet from the desk. "Why would she be here? What's going on?"

He notes the deep frown on Nero's face, and then feels the pulse of malice that comes from him. "She's gone," he says, his voice dark and dangerous. "She's missing."

"Missing?" Dante rubs his face but keeps his eyes sharp on Nero. "Don't sound like her. You're sure?"

"She was gone this morning. I didn't think anything of it, figuring she had gone to run some errands but no one's seen her. I've looked everywhere. She's not answering her phone." Nero finally looks at him, and Dante registers the fear in his eyes, bright as a fever. "Like you said, it's not like her. She would've told me where she was going."

Dante crosses his arms. He can tell the kid is dead serious and in the years since he's known him and Kyrie, he would never have guessed she would just take off. "I'm sure she's fine. Got caught up running errands or something."

Nero shakes his head. "It's been hours."

"Did you call the police?"

"Yeah. They won't do shit until it's been forty-eight hours. I can't wait that long." He gives Dante another pained look. "She wasn't home when the kids were done school. Something's happened to her, I know it."

With a deep sigh, Dante drops his head. He had a big evening of doing nothing planned, but it looks like that's out the window now. "Okay." Dante walks around his desk, heading for the steps. "Let me grab my coat and I'll come help you look."

Nero nods, and Dante takes the stairs two at a time. In his room he changes his shirt and pulls his leather coat out of the closet and shrugs it on. He checks to make sure his guns are loaded, and after a moment's thought, straps a knife on his thigh. If Nero is right and something did happen to Kyrie, it's best to be prepared. "It's probably nothing," he mutters to himself, but he'd better go anyway and make sure Nero doesn't get himself into trouble.

A minute later he is back downstairs, finding the kid on his phone. _"Who was it?"_ Nero shouts.

Dante frowns as Nero runs his hands through his hair, tugging sharply at his scalp. "Fuck. _Fuck_. Okay, I'm coming back right now."

"Well?" Dante demands as Nero stuffs his phone in his pocket.

"Someone came to the house. Dropped off a note." The look on Nero's face is a mix of danger and distress. "I think she's been kidnapped."


	2. Dante Makes Hot Dogs And Doesn't Get Lai

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone for taking a shot on this fic! Please enjoy! I'll be back next Friday with the next chapter :)

This chapter also features a brief appearance of Lir, an OC that belongs to my very good friend Solynacea. Thank you my dearest for allowing me to borrow her briefly!

* * *

Dante can feel the tension radiating from Nero as he drives the van back towards Fortuna. The kid hadn't said anything since Dante insisted on the keys, slouched instead in the passenger seat as he stared out the window. It had taken every last ounce of his wits to navigate the city streets—driving the van after being used to his bike felt like he might as well be driving a whale—but now that they are on the highway, he relaxes a bit and glances over.

"Still nothing?" he asks.

"The phone hasn't rung, has it?" Nero bites back sarcastically.

Dante's lips press together; the kid is just as sarcastic as Vergil, one of the hundred ways they are similar without meaning to be. Genes are a hell of a thing, he has come to realize, so he tries another approach. "Tell me what you did today—maybe I can help figure out what's missing."

Nero looks at him skeptically, but sits up a bit. "I woke up and Kyrie was gone. She uh… she slept in my room last night." Dante glances over with his brows raised and spots the blush on Nero's face before he turns back to the window. What was that about? "I figured she had a meeting or something, something to do. It was late enough that the kids had already left for school.

"I went downstairs and got breakfast, checked for messages, checked the mail. By lunchtime I hadn't heard from her, so I called her cell, but she didn't answer."

"Was her phone in the house?"

"Huh?"

"What I said," Dante replies. He switches lanes abruptly, sending the van rocking for a moment. "Did you check the house for her phone?"

Nero frowns. "No. But I didn't hear it ring."

"Could be dead. Or she doesn't have it on her. But go on."

Nero hesitates for a second, as if considering, and then continues, "Nico was in the garage. She said she hadn't seen her either. I walked around a bit, went to the store, checked at the cafe she likes. Nobody saw her."

"Nico didn't hear her leave?"

Nero snorts. "Nico wouldn't hear a dinosaur when she's working in the garage."

"Then what?"

"I don't know. Would you keep your hands on the wheel?" Dante stops fixing the mirrors at Nero's exasperated tone. "I called more people. No one had talked to her today. Then I got a phone call about somebody who needed help. It wasn't the cops though, it was an anonymous tip. But when I got there, nobody was there."

"That's weird."

Nero sighs and puts his foot up on the dashboard. "Happens sometimes. Somebody wants me to fight a demon but it clears off before I get there. When I got back home, the kids were there, but still no Kyrie. That's when I got really worried."

His phone rings, startling them both, and Nero nearly drops it out the window as he fumbles for it. "Yeah?" he says quickly, his shoulders tense. "No," he growls, "we're at least ten minutes away… No, he can't have ice cream… For fuck's sake, Nico, can you just handle it? Tell them to get their homework done and go to bed… I don't know, make them sandwiches or something."

He jabs at the screen angrily before rubbing his forehead. "God help us all if she ever becomes a mother."

Dante snorts at that. "Yeah, she don't seem the type."

Nero goes back to staring out the window. He is quiet for a few minutes before he says, "If something's happened to her—"

"She's _fine_," Dante insists.

There is another brief silence, and Dante mulls over what to do. Nero is usually a fairly level-headed kid… at least as level-headed as a twenty-four year old half-devil can be. But he has a stubborn streak a mile wide and a blind spot the size of the Grand Canyon when it comes to Kyrie, so his main worry now is keeping him from doing something rash and getting his ass handed to him. He swerves a bit while deep in thought to avoid a pothole, but almost sideswipes a car in the next lane. The car blares its horn and Dante blows his own back, flipping them off as the car speeds by. "Watch where you're going!" Nero yells.

"He almost ran into me!" he protests.

"Christ, just get us home in one piece," mumbles Nero.

Dante huffs, putting the turn signal on to switch lanes. Soon their exit appears, and they arrive in Fortuna without further incident. When he parks in front of the house Nero leans over to yank the keys out of the ignition. "You are never driving my van again," he announces as he jumps out of the passenger side.

"Whatever." Dante walks around the vehicle and follows Nero into the garage. It is empty, and he glances curiously at the array of gadgets in various stages of building that lay scattered on the work table. Nero leads him through the door to the kitchen, where they find Nico. "Finally," she sighs, hands on her hips.

"Where's the note?" Nero asks.

"I'll get it. Here." She yanks a plate of steaming hot dogs out of the microwave and shoves it at Dante. "Go feed them."

Dante frowns as she hurries out of the kitchen. "Come on," Nero grumbles, leading him into the dining room.

Their place is almost as big as Dante's building, but with nine people in the house it is cluttered with _stuff._ Bins of toys, shelves filled with books, shoes stacked by the front door, and the cartoons blaring on the television make the house feel much more cozy. However, as he navigates the toy-strewn floor Dante decides he prefers his own place. This is especially true when they get through the family room to the dining room, where six faces turn when they enter, all talking excitedly.

Nero actually smiles a bit when they are so happy to see him, and Dante decides to get in on things. "Hey, kids!" he says with a fake enthusiasm, lifting up the plate dramatically. "Uncle Dante made you some dogs!"

The entrance goes flat, the room silent as they gape at him. Nero sighs as Dante lays the plate on the table, moving to stand behind the head chair. "Listen, guys, you're gonna be on your own tonight." He nods to the oldest boy who looks about twelve or so. "Samuel, you're in charge. I want you all to eat and get to bed."

"Where's Kyrie?" Samuel asks.

"She's working tonight," Nero says. "I'm gonna go pick her up, but it will be a while. Nico will be here if there's an emergency." He narrows his eyes and drops his voice a bit. "Everyone got it? We need everyone's help for this team to work."

The kids agree and Nero starts handing out the hot dogs, stopping when he is done to give Samuel a few quiet instructions. Dante waits with his arms folded until a hand tugs on his jacket.

"Are those real guns?" one of them asks, pointing to Dante's hips.

"Uh…" He looks over at Nero, who isn't paying attention. "Yeah, they are."

"Can I have one?"

"No."

"Can I touch it?"

He frowns down at the little boy, who is staring at him with an eager curiosity. "No!"

"Do you kill people with it?"

"Nero?" he shouts. "You ready?"

Nero glances over and nods, and after giving Samuel a firm pat on the shoulder, he leads him back out to the garage. Dante glances behind and frowns at the one who was questioning him, the kid nearly falling out of his chair leaning back to watch him leave, and shakes his head as they step through the doorway. "Kids are the worst," he mutters.

That earns him a sideways glance as they walk over to Nico, who is standing in front of her work table. "Where's the note?" Nero demands.

"Here." She hands over an envelope and a folded piece of paper. "It was sealed when it arrived."

Nero opens the note, reading it for a second before handing it to Dante. In a script that is too perfect to be handwritten it reads: _Don't look. I'll be in touch._

He frowns, trying to figure out what it means. "See?" Nero hisses. "Someone's taken her."

Dante doesn't answer, handing the paper back. "Where do we start looking? Who would want to hurt you guys?"

He and Nico exchange a glance. "Plenty of people, actually," Nico replies, and his brows raise. "Everybody knows Nero is the city's demon hunter, so not only can the demons find him if they know what to look for, any sympathizers can figure it out too."

"It has to be someone connected to the demon world," he growls.

"I don't know, Kyrie has her own set of people who would want her gone, too," Nico says.

The two men look at her strangely and she shrugs. "I mean, she's important, right? She's one of the last survivors of the Order. Lots of people died, so if someone wanted revenge, Kyrie is an obvious choice. Plus now she's a public figure. People hated the Order, and don't want Fortuna to have anything to do with it. Other people hate the new charity, wanting the Order back in charge." She gestures to the letter. "I'd say half of Fortuna could be a suspect. And that's not even counting anyone who hates the Spardas."

"I get it," Dante groans, rubbing his face. "All right. What we need is a clue. We gotta narrow this down somehow."

"How do we do that?" Nero asks.

He looks at his wrist before realizing he doesn't wear a watch. "It's not that late. I know an empath in a town not far from here. Let's roll."

"Fine. _I'll_ drive." Nero stuffs the letter in his jacket pocket and heads for the door.

"Want me to come?" Nico offers.

"No. Stay here and answer the phone. And don't let the kids burn the house down."

Nico makes a face, and Dante salutes her with a laugh before he follows him back out to the van. Both climb inside and shut the doors, and Nero pulls out into the street, heading for the freeway that will take them west.

Dante gives directions and then starts to fiddle with the radio. "This empath any good?" Nero asks.

"Yeah. She's good." He settles on a station and drums his fingers on the armrest.

"Has this ever happened to you?" Nero asks.

Dante looks over, his brows drawn in question. "Has what ever happened to me?"

"Demons coming after you like this?"

He thinks about all the times a demon came crashing into his shop or showing up where he was, the times a hoard had overrun a town he was staying in, all the way back to the day an army descended on his childhood home. "Yeah. It's happened."

"Fuck this," Nero hisses. "Why's it gotta be us? I didn't ask for this life. I didn't ask to be a demon hunter."

"Yeah," Dante agrees, sighing as he looks out the window. "None of us did."

* * *

Nero takes a moment to look at the little house before following Dante towards the front door. It looks completely normal, faded yellow paint on the shutters, a little picket fence, the front path neatly swept. It is nearly eight o'clock by the time they are on the porch, ringing the bell, but the lamps inside still give a glow through the windows and Nero can hear the television on inside. It's not until they are waiting that he notices a sign hanging over the front step that says: _Psychic Readings, Walk-Ins Welcome._

A moment later the door opens. A young woman with long white hair wearing an oversized sweater and glasses looks up at them. "Can I help you?"

Nero clears his throat but Dante holds out his hands. "Lir! Long time no see!"

"You have got to be kidding me." She scowls up at him, and it would be almost comical with her height that only goes to about Dante's shoulder. But her look is fierce and her voice bitter as she snaps, "I can't believe you have the nerve to show up here."

"Don't be like that, hon. Besides, I need your help."

"Help?" she scoffs.

"Yeah. I'll even pay you."

She looks at him suspiciously before giving Nero a once-over. Then she steps back and waves them inside. "You have ten minutes."

"Thanks, babe." Nero follows him as they step into the foyer. The house is decorated simply, the walls and floors wood, and she leads them into a small parlor but does not offer them seats.

"Well?" Lir asks, folding her arms.

Dante clears his throat. "Kid's got a note and don't know who it's from. Think you could tell us?"

Lir snorts. "You know my empathy doesn't work that way."

Nero's heart sinks, but Dante moans, "Oh come on, can't you try? Just see if you pick up something."

She heaves a huge sigh and walks behind a desk in the corner. As she takes a seat in the desk chair, Nero and Dante move to take the two opposite. Nero leans forward eagerly, his elbows perched on his knees, as Dante sits back and crosses one leg over the other.

"So what is this note?" she asks.

Dante nudges him so Nero says, "My girlfriend has been kidnapped. This was delivered earlier." He pulls it from his pocket and holds it out with the envelope, but Lir simply looks at it. "Some demon wrote this, but we don't know who."

Lir gives a huff of air. "It's not from a demon, I can tell you that much by looking at it."

"What do you mean?" Nero frowns. "You can't just know that!"

"Sure I can." She looks at Dante blankly. "Twenty dollars."

"Please! Just—" Nero growls and shakes the note at her. "Just take it! Try something."

The woman's shoulders flex a bit as she leans forward, her hands planted on the desk and her voice no-nonsense. She looks intimidating despite her small frame and pretty face, and Nero feels his ears go pink. "You listen here," she says in a low tone. "I've been reading people my whole life, so when I tell you that there's no demon on that paper, then there's no goddamn demon on that goddamn paper, you understand me?"

Fury bubbles over as Nero curses and jumps to his feet. "This is bullshit. You're a hack." He points an angry finger at Lir who shoots him a scowl. He tries to think of something else to say, but when nothing comes to mind he shouts, "Come on, Dante, let's go."

"Babe." Dante sighs and leans forward, and Nero gapes at him as he props his elbow on the desk and his chin in his hand. "Don't be too hard on the kid. He just lost the woman he loves. I mean, look at him." They both glance at Nero, who frowns. "If I had someone to love like that, I'd be losing my shit too. Only…" He gives her a slow smile. "I don't have somebody to love. I always wished I had a sweet, pretty thing, long white hair and dark lashes, lips full and pink and ready for me to—"

"Okay! Okay. Just… stop." But she is laughing, and she shoots him a look as she holds her hand out to Nero. "Let me see it."

He hesitates just a second before giving over the letter. Lir's brows go up in surprise as soon as her hand closes around the paper. "Well. What do you know? There _is_ a demon on this note."

She frowns but Nero says, "I knew it! A demon sent this, didn't they?"

"No," she answers. "It's just a trace. Probably from you handling it so much."

Nero feels the blood drain from his face. "What do you mean? I'm not a—"

"I'm not stupid," she huffs, looking at him sharply. "I know a half-breed when I see one." She looks at Dante and rolls her eyes. "Where did you find this kid?"

"He's my nephew," Dante explains.

Lir lets out a huge laugh. "Should have known! Just like the rest of you Spardas. Stubborn _and_ stupid."

Nero slumps a bit in his chair as she goes back to concentrating. "There's definitely a mix, but again, it's hard to tell. Should have worn gloves or something at least," she scolds him. Then her brow tenses. "It's someone connected to you. Someone close."

"What?" Nero leans forward, looking at the letter. "Who could it be?"

"Did Kyrie write this?" Dante asks.

He looks sharply at him, ready to argue, but Lir shakes her head. "No, I'm pretty sure it's not connected like that. It's a relative of yours."

Nero feels his ears burn as something churns in his stomach. "I knew it. I fucking knew it." He stands and looks at Dante, who is frowning up at him. "That bastard."

"Wait a second," Dante snaps.

"Fucking Vergil. I'm gonna kill him." Nero grabs the note and heads for the door, but Dante is quicker. "Move," he growls.

"You don't know it's him. Don't be stupid." Dante jerks his head up. "And you owe her twenty dollars."

Furious now, Nero pulls out a wad of cash and tosses it at Dante, hitting him in the chest. Then he steps around him and storms out of the house, yanking open the door of the van.

Dante climbs in the passenger side as Nero starts the ignition. "You can come, but don't try to stop me," Nero warns.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Dante replies, reaching down to lean the seat all the way back.

Nero glances over, not entirely sure if he's telling the truth. Dante props his feet up on the dash and promptly begins to snore as Nero drives the van back towards the city. Up ahead the lights flicker on the horizon, and he narrows his eyes, knowing that Kyrie is there somewhere, waiting for him.


	3. Fucking Vergil

Nero's hand flexes around the holster of his gun as they stand outside of Vergil's apartment. It feels like every nerve in his body is tense and ready to spring, the coil growing tighter when Dante raps on the door.

"Who is it?" a voice calls from inside.

"It's me," Dante says. "Need to ask you about something."

"No thanks."

Nero curses and aims his foot at the door jamb, breaking it open with one powerful kick. A moment later he is standing next to Vergil, his revolver pointed at his temple. Vergil glances up from the book he is reading, and he grumbles as he leans forward to grab a bookmark from the table, not even flinching when the barrel presses against his skin. "I said, no thank you."

"Where is she?" Nero seethes.

Vergil places the book on the table and sits back in his chair. "Where is who?"

"Kyrie. Where is she?"

Nero watches as Vergil glances over at Dante, who has pulled up a stool from the kitchen bar off to the side. The living room is decorated handsomely, if not a bit old fashioned, and Dante nearly knocks over a stained glass lamp as he perches on the seat, catching it just in time. "What is he talking about?" Vergil asks.

"His girl Kyrie is missing. Been gone since this morning." Dante jerks his chin up. "He thinks you know something."

Nero grits his teeth as Vergil turns to look at him. He holds the gun steady even though his other hand is trembling, and the barrel now points directly to his forehead. "Why would I know where she is?"

"Because a demon relative of mine took her," Nero growls. "And the only person that could be is you."

"Well, you're wrong."

"Am I?" Nero cocks the hammer, the click feeling satisfying. "I'll give you five seconds."

Vergil gives him an angry look. "Dante, would you do something about this?"

"I told him it probably wasn't you."

"Four."

Vergil whips around, and Nero pushes the gun against the side of his head. "Probably!" he snaps. "What do you mean, probably?"

Dante holds up his hands. "Hey, I defended you."

"Three."

"Some defense," Vergil grumbles. "You _probably_ made it worse. Get out of my apartment."

"I didn't even want to come!"

"Two."

"Then what are you doing here?"

Dante gestures towards Nero. "His girl is missing. He's a wreck. If I didn't tag along he'd _probably_ end up killing someone."

Nero squeezes the trigger. The shot explodes in the room and he is knocked backwards, not by the recoil, but because Vergil has him by the throat. Nero is thrown onto his back as Vergil climbs over him and pins him to the floor. His grip is firm, but not choking, and Nero struggles for a second before realizing he can't break his hold. Vergil restrains the hand holding the gun to the ground by his forearm, slamming it hard to knock it away. "How dare you," Vergil growls, and Nero looks up furiously, pleased to see the tips of his hair a bit singed from where he had dodged. "I just had a haircut, and let me tell you, it was not cheap."

"Let him up, Vergil," Dante sighs.

"No." He slams Nero's arm again, and a bolt of pain goes through his wrist, causing his grip to loosen. Vergil snatches the gun from his hand and straightens up, half sitting on Nero's leg. "This isn't a toy, you know," he scolds, shaking the revolver in demonstration.

"I know you have her," Nero says. His voice is tight with emotion, and having been so easily disarmed pisses him off. Vergil's eyes narrow a bit, the ends creasing slightly, and Nero doesn't know if it is in pity or concern or anger, and that pisses him off even more.

Vergil presses his lips together and stands. "I don't have her. I don't know anything about this."

Nero sits up, leaning forward to catch his breath, his arms draped over his knees. The gun comes into view, and he looks up to see Vergil handing it back. He snatches it away, pressing the grip to his forehead now damp with sweat. "She's gone," he says harshly. "Kyrie is gone, someone took her and sent me a note not to look for her and…" His chest goes tight and his vision blurs, and Nero can feel his pulse racing. "If you don't have her then I don't know where else to look."

He takes a minute to wait it out, refusing to let any pain or fear take over again. Every moment he spends focusing on _that_ is a moment he's not focusing on _her._ When he looks up, he sees Vergil studying him, and Dante looking on with what could best be called mild interest.

Vergil seems like he struggles to say something, until finally he asks, "Did you call the police?"

"They won't do anything," Nero mutters.

"Where is this note?"

He looks up at Vergil suspiciously, but the truth is, he is suddenly too tired to argue. Instead he pulls the note from his pocket and holds it up. Vergil takes it and opens the paper carefully, frowning as he reads. "Whoever it is could have been a bit more cryptic," he mutters sarcastically.

"Any ideas?" Dante asks.

Vergil shakes his head. "Who told you it was a relative?"

"Empath." Dante sighs. "She's usually spot on with this stuff."

Vergil considers for a moment. "And you're sure she was kidnapped, and didn't just leave?"

Nero growls and pushes to his feet before snatching back the note. "Yeah, I'm fucking sure. Kyrie wouldn't _ever_ do that."

He scowls at Vergil, who gives him a patronizing look. "How can you be so sure? Because you are in love?" he laughs.

"Yeah," Nero answers sharply. "That's right." He bristles, debating whether a punch to the jaw or another shot to the head would wipe that look off Vergil's face when his cell phone rings suddenly.

Nero yanks it from his pocket, frowning in surprise at the number. "Yeah?" he answers.

"Nero? It's Trish."

"Yeah. This isn't a good time—"

"It's about Kyrie."

He sucks in a sharp breath. Dante starts to ask but Nero waves them both away, turning so he can focus on the call. "Do you know where she is?"

"No. But Nico called me looking for Morrison and told me what happened. I have a contact in the demon world that might be able to help you out."

Nero nods. "Okay. What do I need to do?"

"He frequents a bar out in Clear Point. It's a three hour drive. Do you know it?"

"No. But I'll go." He glances back at the others. "What do you think he knows?"

"Everything. Anything. If someone in the demon world has Kyrie, he'd know."

"Send me the address." Nero ends the call and looks at the time. It's half past nine, which means if he leaves now, he'll be there after midnight. "We gotta go," he says to Dante.

"Sounds good." Dante stands and stretches, then nods to Vergil. "You coming?"

"What? No," Nero says at the same time Vergil replies, "Why would I go?"

Dante looks between them both. "Come on, Vergil. We could use another hand. Plus you look like you could use some fun."

Vergil huffs a laugh, but Nero narrows his eyes. "Absolutely not. He's not coming with us."

* * *

Vergil leans over the front console, his arms resting on the back of the seats. "I still don't see why I couldn't sit in the front."

"'Cause I called shotgun," Dante grins. "You snooze, you lose, brother."

Vergil snorts. "I've never lost at anything in my life."

"Except to me."

"Would you both shut it?" Nero snaps. "We still have plenty of miles left and I'm not listening to this the whole drive."

Dante glances over. It would seem to a casual observer that Nero is just annoyed at them, but he can tell that the kid is tense. Dangerously tense. His hands grip the wheel of the van so tightly his knuckles are white, his arms and shoulders straining under his leather coat. His face is twisted into a deep scowl, his brows drawn deeply together. He would wager a guess that Nero is ready to snap at the first opportunity, and Dante wonders if they will even make it to the bar.

"What did Trish say again?" he asks.

Nero huffs. "Just what I told you. This guy knows what's going on in the demon realm. He'll have heard something if there's something worth hearing."

"Sounds suspicious to me," Vergil says.

"Nobody asked you," he mutters.

Dante looks back over his shoulder. "Why's that?"

"The chance of a random demon knowing anything about Kyrie is slim to none," he says. "He's not even in the same city. How would he know what is going on in Fortuna?"

"Ah, you know demons," Dante says.

"I do, and this doesn't make sense." Vergil leans back.

"You could always leave?" Nero suggests with a fake cheerfulness.

Vergil mutters something under his breath, but Dante glances over at Nero again. There is something that has been nagging him since he saw the note, and he figures now is as good a time as any to ask. He rubs his hand on his head for a second before asking, "How do you know Kyrie didn't write that note?"

The van swerves for a second before Nero rights it. Dante grabs the overhead bar to steady himself as Vergil gives a shout from the back. "What the hell you doing?" he yells.

"Why would you even ask that?" Nero yells back. "Kyrie didn't write it!"

"What happened with you two last night?" Dante asks. Nero's shoulders stiffen and he leans a bit closer. "I can read you like a book, kid."

"Nothing happened," Nero hisses.

"Didja fight or something?"

"No."

"She getting on your nerves?"

"No!"

Vergil leans forward again, his face popping into view between them. "Women are hardly worth the trouble. They're either lying or picky as hell."

"Fucking hell!" Nero pulls the van over to the side of the highway, stopping in the emergency parking. He yanks the gear shift into park so hard it looks like he could tear it off, and then turns to glare at the two brothers. "Both of you shut the hell up about Kyrie! She didn't leave me and she didn't write that letter and nothing happened!"

Dante's brow draws down. "Nobody said nothing about her leaving you."

"You did!" Nero argues. "You said she wrote it. That's what you meant, isn't it?" He throws out his hand and yells, "So what? You think she just took off and doesn't want me looking for her?"

Vergil shrugs. "It's a possibility."

"No, it's not." Nero's tone is dangerous as he hisses through gritted teeth, "The next person that says something like that about her is going to get my fist in their face, got it? Kyrie did _not_ leave me."

A tense silence fills the van for several moments. Then quietly, Dante says, "What happened?"

"Nothing! Nothing happened! Nothing…" Nero's voice twists and he turns around to look out the front window. He pounds his fist on the steering wheel and bows his head. "We… we had sex. Okay? We did it and everything was fine. I thought everything was _fine_." Dante winces as he watches Nero struggle to breathe, the air escaping him in a light whine. "She said she loved me. She wouldn't… she wouldn't do this."

"First time, huh?" Dante asks.

Nero gives him a sharp look, but then he nods. "We were waiting. She said she wanted to wait, and I was cool with that, you know? She's so good and beautiful and… look, I know I don't deserve her. I know she could do way better than me." Dante reaches out to give him a reassuring pat on the arm, but Nero shakes him off. "She loves me. She wouldn't do this."

The quiet is now uncomfortable, the only sound Nero's sniffling, and Dante tries to think of what to say. But before he can impart some wisdom, Vergil asks, "Did you get her pregnant?"

"What? No!" Nero cries.

"How do you know?" prods Vergil. "Did you do it right?"

"Do it—what the hell are you talking about?"

Nero glares at him furiously but Vergil shrugs. "I thought that might be why she left. Maybe she doesn't want a demon child."

"She doesn't care about that! And she's not pregnant. We only did it once," Nero says furiously.

Vergil gives a chuckle. "That's all it takes. All it took for you anyway."

Nero visibly recoils. "_Oh my god_."

"I'm surprised Dante doesn't have a dozen brats running around." Vergil frowns at Dante, seeming to examine him, and Dante frowns back. "How did you manage to escape the plague that is fatherhood?"

"Well, I…" Dante clears his throat. "Lucky."

Vergil slides up a bit more and eyes him suspiciously. "Have you even had sex before?"

"Loads of times," Dante scoffs. "Women love me. Tell him, Nero," he says, gesturing at the kid. "How much did Lir want me, hm? She was all over me."

Nero makes a noise of disgust as Vergil snorts. "I'm sure that's entirely true," he says, his tone clear that he does not believe that one bit, before turning back to Nero. "You do realize that pleasuring a woman takes more than just some good looks and charm. There are certain places on the body that—"

"I'm not listening to this!" cries Nero.

"Women are delicate creatures but they also have different needs—"

"Would you shut up?"

Dante points to Vergil. "He's got a point, you should listen."

"This is my worst nightmare."

"No, really," Dante says seriously. "A girl's first time, she's gonna be skittish, right? That's why you gotta put it in real slow, not go straight to pound town."

Vergil nods. "That's what I was saying, Dante. If you need some advice, Nero, then I can—"

"For! Fuck's! Sake!" Nero looks back and forth at them with revulsion. "I don't need any damn advice from you," he snaps, pointing at Vergil. Then he points at Dante and growls, "_Or_ you. And if you say that about Kyrie again I'll rip your head off. You both got it?"

"Yeah," Dante replies.

"We are just trying to help," Vergil adds.

"I don't need your help. And I really don't fucking need to hear about sex from the two of _you._ Let's just get to Clear Point. And nobody talk again. About anything. Ever." Vergil gives an annoyed huff as he slides into the back again, and Nero throws the van into gear. Before pulling back onto the road, he glances at Dante. "Pound town? Are you twelve?"

"Just telling the truth, kid," he chuckles, looking back out the window as the lights on the freeway slip by.


	4. Sparda Boys On A Road Trip

Getting out of the van was one of the best moments of Nero's life. Despite his warnings, Dante and Vergil continued to discuss women, sex, techniques, preferences, and things they had seen on television until Nero thought he would go mad. When they pulled into Clear Point at a quarter past midnight, he was never so glad to see a bar in his life.

Calling it a bar is generous, he decides. A dive is more accurate: decrepit, even. He puts his hands on his hips and looks the building up and down, taking in the dirty brick and the BAR sign half-flickering in pink neon. The windows are nearly black and the door looks rusted shut. He is going to need a hazmat suit to go in there.

Vergil makes a noise as he steps up next to Nero. "That place looks disgusting. I'm not going in there."

Nero is loath to agree with anything he says, but nods. On the other side of him Dante says, "Places like this always have the best grub."

Both Nero and Vergil turn to look at him strangely, and Dante shrugs. "What? It's true. There's a reason this place is so dirty." They stare at him blankly and Dante gestures, "You know, 'cause _people_ come here."

"Not people. Demons." Trish steps out of the shadows and walks up towards them, shaking her head. "This isn't gonna work."

"What isn't?" Nero asks.

"The three of you. You stick out like a sore thumb." She nods to Dante. "Especially you. You can't come in."

"Fine by me," he says, stretching his arms over his head.

Nero gives him a glance as Trish continues, "Find somewhere to set up and cover the door. My contact knows we're coming, but the bar will be full of demons. If they start to suspect something, there may be a problem."

"Right." Dante salutes and walks off whistling. Nero turns back to Trish, who is looking them both over. "You'll do," she says to Vergil, then jerks her chin at Nero. "You stay in the van."

"No way," Nero says. "I'm coming too."

"He looks like a demon," Trish argues, pointing at Vergil. "Still smells like one too. You on the other hand look like a three-course meal. No way you are gonna pass in there."

"I'm not staying here!" Nero snaps.

"And I'm not going in there," Vergil adds, gesturing towards the bar. "God knows what diseases I'll pick up. And I don't smell."

Trish huffs in annoyance and puts her hands on her hips. "Look, either we do it my way, or we don't do it at all. Vergil comes, no one else. Or you can turn right around and go back to Fortuna. I'm not risking you scaring off my informant because you're too stubborn to do this."

Nero works his jaw as he struggles to put a lid on his temper. "Fine. Vergil goes in. But I'm giving you ten minutes, that's it."

"What?" Vergil exclaims.

"You owe me," Nero nearly growls, jabbing him in the arm with his finger.

Vergil rolls his eyes with a sigh. "When will you stop playing this card? Fine. I'll go in, but I'm not touching anything."

Nero watches them enter, shaking his head when Vergil insists Trish hold the door open for him. He will be damned if he's sitting in the car though, so he goes hunting for Dante, who is pretty easy to spot in his red leather coat. He finds him on the roof of an auto supply store across the street, and Nero easily pulls himself up the side of the building and walks across the roof, crouching down next to where Dante is sitting. "Vergil went in," he says. "Trish said he was the most demonish."

Dante laughs. "Yeah, sounds about right. Pop a squat, kid."

"No thanks." Nero flexes his hands as he stares at the front door of the bar.

He feels Dante give him a hard clap on the back. "Try not to worry."

"How can I not?" he hisses. "Kyrie is god knows where, she could be hurt, she could be—_shit!_ If we don't find her—"

"We will."

"It's been more than a day." Nero runs a hand through his hair, tugging it sharply by the roots. "We need to find her."

Dante stretches his legs out, leaning back on his palms to prop himself up. "They said they'd be in touch, right? They wouldn't kill her if they were gonna call you."

Nero glances over to argue, but can't find a good retort. Dante's right, but the lack of action and the very casual way he watches the bar grates on Nero's nerves. "They're gonna be dead once I find them."

They fall into silence as a few minutes tick by. Then Dante asks, "You got any money?"

Nero frowns. "A bit, why?"

"I've got an idea."

He kneels and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a couple of twenty dollar bills and handing them over. Dante grins and fishes inside his own pocket, finding his cell phone. Nero watches as he pushes a few buttons, narrowing his eyes when Dante puts the phone to his ear and flashes a smile.

His suspicion turns to irritation when Dante says, "Hey! You _are_ open. That's awesome. Yeah, I need a large ham and extra cheese, and throw some pepperoni on there too—"

"You're ordering pizza?" Nero hisses.

Dante waves him off, turning to finish his order. Nero silently fumes as he describes the auto shop, shooting him a death glare when Dante laughs as he hangs up. "They'll be here in ten."

"We're staking out a demon hangout and you're ordering food," he mutters.

"I'm hungry," Dante counters. He stands up and stretches, then looks down at Nero. "I'm gonna go wait down there. Give a signal if something happens."

He strolls over to the side of the roof, and Nero watches in annoyance as he swings his legs over and jumps. "What an idiot," he mutters, shaking his head. This family is filled with idiots, but he can't help but chuckle a bit despite himself.

Several minutes go by in silence, and Nero feels uneasy. Something should be happening, but there is no sound or movement from the bar. No one goes in or out, and he keeps a sharp eye on the windows for any sign of what is happening inside. As he waits, he can't help but think of Kyrie. His mind goes to the worst possible scenarios, flipping through them like a picture book: Kyrie hurt, Kyrie crying, Kyrie tied up, Kyrie shivering and dirty and scared. Emotion wells in him at the idea, and he vows for the thousandth time to find the bastard that did this and make him pay.

A car pulls up below, and when Nero leans over to look he sees Dante bending into the passenger window. A moment later he emerges with a pizza box, and Nero rolls his eyes. Deep down he is grateful he is here; Nero wouldn't have gotten nearly this far without him, and if and when it comes to fighting Dante is the best. _Plus…_ he grumbles to himself, folding his arms, _It is nice to not have to do this alone._

Vergil, though, is another story. Nero had insisted that he not come, but he and Dante basically bulldozed over him. Nero grits his teeth thinking about the two of them together. Everything is a contest they can bicker over, and when they _do_ actually get along for a minute, it's as if they are determined to join forces to drive him mad. He gives a shudder, thinking about the quickly aborted sex talk. Sometimes it felt like they wanted to make up for twenty years by going over the top playing dad and uncle, when other times they treat him like an employee, or worse, some dumb kid. Is it even possible for their family to just be _normal?_

His thoughts are interrupted when there is a movement in the window. Nero stands, narrowing his eyes into a piercing gaze, when a bullet whizzes out of the window with the sound of shattering glass. "Dante!" he shouts, launching himself forward, and he easily jumps off the side of the building and lands in a crouch that knocks the wind from him a bit.

Dante is nowhere to be seen, but he takes off running, darting to the front door and yanking it open. He blinks as his eyes adjust while he steps inside, pulling his gun from the holster on his side and looking around. The place is packed with people, although many of them look _strange,_ and his insides twist as eyes land on him.

"Who the fuck are you?" one of the demons asks, standing up and flashing a set of claws.

"Back off," Nero growls, pointing his gun at it. The demon doesn't move, so Nero's eyes dart around, looking for Trish and Vergil. He carefully steps around the tables, aiming for any demons that look like they might want to tangle. The others are nowhere to be seen, and he mutters a curse as he makes his way through the room.

A hand grabs his arm and Nero spins, ready to fight. But it's Trish, who is glaring at him angrily. "What are you doing in here?" she asks. "I told you to stay outside!"

"A bullet came flying out!" he hisses. "I thought you guys were in trouble."

"You need to go," she mutters. Trish pushes on his back to spin him, herding him towards the front door.

"Stop," Nero protests. "Where is your informant? I want to talk to him."

"No. You need to—"

A huge man steps in front of them, blocking their path. He is easily over seven feet tall, and both Nero and Trish look up into his deep scowl. His body is huge, dark oily hair hanging in his eyes, but Nero can easily see the crimson glow in the corner of his eyes. "Hey. I know you."

"Good for you," Nero snaps.

"You're that kid from Fortuna." The guy cracks his knuckles, and Nero puts his thumb on the hammer of the gun. "I lost my whole crew there." It narrows its eyes and grins, revealing sharp and pointed teeth. "Time to pay up."

They both move at the same time, and Nero has his revolver pointed between the demon's eyes as its giant hand grabs the top of his head. He feels it squeeze, and Nero cocks the gun. "Let's see who pays first," he growls.

"Don't try me," the demon answers.

There is movement in the bar as people step back from the fight, but then the flash of something catches Nero's eye. The Yamato is now pressed against the demon's neck, and Nero spots Vergil behind it. "Looks like you lost," Vergil says.

"This isn't your business," the demon growls.

"On the contrary. He is my business."

The demon gives a low rumble. "If you think cutting off my head will stop me—"

He tilts the blade so it picks up some of the light in the room. "Take a look at this sword, and decide if you want to risk it." Vergil tilts his head, a small smile creeping on his lips. "I can assure you, _this_ blade is no ordinary weapon."

Nero's eyes dart back to the demon's face. The creature is peering down at the blade, and then its brows twitch. "Fine," it says, releasing its grip on Nero.

He keeps his gun pointed as Vergil steps around the hulking thing. "Move," Nero says.

The demon takes a step back, and then its arms go out. "Looks like the sons of Sparda are here!" he calls. The entire bar goes silent, every head turning in their direction. "Anyone feel like getting some payback?"

"Oh _shit,"_ Nero curses. He and Vergil press back to back as dozens of them form a circle around them, the familiar burn on his arm filling the room with a blue glow as his demon arm rises to the surface of his skin.

* * *

"Son of a bitch!" Dante curses. He kicks a trashcan and listens, following the rattling sound through the alley. It is dark as hell in the space between the auto shop and the convenience store next door, but he _knows_ the thing darted in there.

He grabs another can and pushes it aside, and finds his prey underneath. "There you are," he growls. "Give it back."

The cat hisses at him, standing on top of the half-eaten pizza it had snatched. Dante had stuffed four slices in his mouth before slinging the box under his arm for the climb back up to the roof. But just as he had reached the top, the damn thing slid out from his grip and fell to the ground. By the time Dante had jumped back down it was gone, and the mangy tail of the stray slinking down the alley told him exactly what had happened to it.

"Shoo," he says, waving his hands at the cat. "That's mine. Get out of here."

The cat's hair stands on end, its back going rigid as it gives another hiss. "All right, you asked for it," Dante says.

He moves to grab the cat, but its claws swipe first, drawing blood on his arm. "Damn it!" Dante curses, and then the cat bites his hand, its teeth sinking in and not letting go. He shakes his arm to knock the cat away, but the fucker won't let go, and he tugs on its scruff to pry it from him.

At the end of the alley, an eruption of gunfire and shouting catches his attention, and he drops the cat. It pounces onto his leg, giving him one last bite for good measure before darting underneath the dumpster against the wall. "Bastard!" he snaps, shaking his bleeding hand.

More gunfire and a roar sounds, and then he hears Nero shout, "Dante! Haul ass!"

He looks down at the ground where his pizza is covered in dirt and hair, ruined. "You owe me ten bucks!" he yells at the dumpster before taking off for the street, pulling Ebony and Ivory out as he runs.

There are demons spilling from the bar, kept at bay by Vergil and the Yamato. Dante darts forward, landing in the center of the swarm, and starts shooting. It takes no time at all for the two of them to wipe out the dozens of demons, but just when he thinks they are done, more start to emerge from the shadows and crawling up from the sewer grates.

"What the hell did you guys do?" he shouts to Vergil.

"You were supposed to be covering us!" Vergil yells back.

He looks up to see Trish pushing something into the side of the van as Nero pulls the door shut. "Get in, let's go!" he calls, yanking open the passenger door and sending a few bullets flying over Dante's shoulders before pitching himself inside.

He makes it to the van first, Vergil a split second after, and he climbs into the back as Vergil slams the passenger door. Nero takes off with a squeal of the tires, and Dante stumbles, landing hard on the floor of the van with a shout.

"Well that didn't go as planned," Trish says.

He looks up at where she is sitting on the bench, her legs crossed and an annoyed look on her face. "Just another Saturday night," he jokes.

"It's Tuesday," she says sarcastically to Dante. Then she yells at the front seat, "And I told you to stay out of there!"

"It's not my fault!" Nero argues back.

"Just take a left up here," Trish sighs. She nudges the thing next to her, and Dante peers in the darkness at the lump. After a second he realizes it is a person—or rather, a demon in a person disguise that is now dirty and badly torn.

"This your guy?" he asks.

"Yeah. Now we can see if he knows anything."

Dante grins as the van crests a hard left. "Good thing for you, interrogation is my specialty."


	5. Things Have Gone So Horribly Wrong

The van screeches to a stop in an empty parking lot. One street lamp flickers in the corner; otherwise, it's quiet—there are no lights, no cars, no people. It is the perfect spot for them to regroup and figure out their next move.

Dante opens the side of the van and climbs out as Vergil and Nero do the same. Reaching inside, Dante grabs the demon by the front of his coat, ignoring Trish's protest, and sets him down, the demon's legs dangling over the side of the van. Planting his foot up on the edge, Dante says, "Start talkin'."

The demon looks up, shaking slightly. "I don't—"

"Listen, shit head," Dante sighs. "It's one in the morning, I got this kid up my ass, I've had to look at my brother's ugly mug all night, and a cat stole my pizza. I'm pissed, tired, hungry, and I want to go home. So fucking _talk_."

"I don't know anything!" the demon cries.

Trish leans her forearm on the side of the door. "I thought you said you were good at this."

"I thought you said he'd know something."

Next to Dante, Vergil huffs. "You might try asking an actual question."

"Okay, everyone back off!" Dante snaps, holding up his hands.

"Move." Nero pushes him out of the way, stepping up in front of the demon. "What's your name?" he asks.

"Abe Lincoln," the demon replies.

Nero nods. "Okay, Abe. There's a girl missing. Her name is Kyrie. One of you demon assholes took her, and I want to know who. If I like what you have to say, you get to live another day. If I don't, you get a bullet in your head, just like your namesake. Understand?"

It is hard to tell what exactly the demon's expression is with his human suit so mangled, but Dante assumes it hits somewhere between annoyance and disgust. "Fucking humans," he says. "What makes you think I know anything? You all look the same to me."

Nero takes out his revolver and pushes it against the demon's head. "You have five seconds."

"He's not kidding," Vergil says. "He shot me earlier."

Dante snorts, but notes how Nero's fingers flex and coil around the grip of the gun. If they aren't careful, he'll blow the informant away before they get any information. "All right, kid," he says. "Let's give him a chance to answer."

"You're crazy!" the demon snaps. "All of you are crazy!" It looks up at Trish hissing, _"Why did you bring me here?"_

"Just answer their questions," she says tiredly.

"Time's up," Nero says.

The demon puts his hands up. Half the suit falls off and hits the ground, and Dante wrinkles his nose in disgust as it splatters on his boots. "Okay! Okay! What's her name? I don't know, maybe I heard something—"

"Kyrie," Nero replies coolly.

The demon nods. "Okay. I mean, maybe? Lots of demons take humans for food or power or just for fun. I don't know their specific names though."

"She's from Fortuna," Dante offers.

"Fortuna? I don't fuck with Fortuna." The demon gives a weird hissing sound that could be laughter. "Anyone that has any sense stays the hell away from there."

"That's funny, I kill plenty of demons there," Nero says.

The demon looks at him scornfully. "Newbies," it replies.

Dante heaves a sigh. "Listen, Abe, you got something for us or what?"

The demon looks around nervously. "No! I don't know. I ain't heard nothing about taking people from Fortuna, and I ain't heard the name Kyrie. Don't kill me!"

The three men exchange a glance. "He's telling the truth," Trish says. "He wouldn't lie, would you, sweet?"

"No, ma'am," the demon answers.

Dante narrows his eyes at Trish but she offers only a cool smile. "I'd really, really appreciate you not killing this one. It took me a long time to find a worthwhile informant."

Nero makes an angry noise in his throat, but he lowers the gun. "If I find out you lied to me, I'm going to come back here and rip your heart out myself." Then he steps away and walks around the van, climbing into the driver's side and slamming the door shut.

Dante swallows uncomfortably. He looks at Vergil and says, "Got any other ideas?"

Vergil shoots him a look but doesn't answer. Dante nods and says to Trish, "Thanks for trying anyway. I guess we'll head back and figure out our next step."

"No problem." Trish hops out of the van and tugs the demon with her. "Give me a call if you need anything else." She walks away, dragging it behind her, until they disappear into the night.

Dante heaves a huge sigh. "What a damn mess."

"We should go back to Fortuna," Vergil says. "Start looking there. I'm still not convinced she didn't leave on her own."

"Don't push that with the kid," Dante growls. "He's feeling bad enough."

"Let's go." Vergil steps into the back of the van, leaving Dante to kick the tire in frustration.

* * *

They are halfway back to Fortuna and in the middle of nowhere when something inside the van makes a loud popping sound. Smoke starts pouring out from under the hood, and with a series of curses Nero pulls over to the side of the road. The van sputters as it rolls to a stop, and all three men climb out and step around to the front hood.

The only light on the road comes from the van's headlights. There is not a sound, not even animals in the distance, and they had not passed another vehicle for at least an hour. Nero rubs the back of his head as Dante checks his phone, which has no signal bars above the time that reads 2:28 am.

"Now what?" Vergil asks.

"Guess we walk." Dante heads to the van and opens the side door. He climbs in and grabs an empty bag, rummaging around for anything they might need. He finds a flashlight, a smattering of knives, and a candy bar, the rest of it just being Nico's junk that he can't make heads or tails of anyway. He munches as he returns to the others, who are still staring at the smoking van. "You guys coming or what?"

Nero slams his fist on the hood of the van, leaving a small dent. "This is bullshit!" he shouts. "We came all this way, and for nothing! We're no closer to finding Kyrie and now the van—" He lets go a yell and punches it again, and again. His demon arm activates, the blue light looking eerie in the dark, and with a final growl Nero rips off the entire hood and tosses it towards the wooded area off the side of the highway.

It skids across the ground with a metallic, grinding sound until it comes to a stop. Dante swallows the rest of the candy bar as Vergil glances at him. He gives a shrug, and Vergil nods. They stand shoulder to shoulder and watch as Nero continues his tirade for another minute or so, the van left with holes and dents in the metal, and the windshield now sporting a nasty crack that runs diagonally through the glass.

Nero plants his hands on the side of the van, leaning his head down as he takes heaving breaths. His shoulders shake as he tries to get a hold of himself, and Dante clears his throat. "You good now, kid?"

"No, I'm not good," Nero hisses. "What are we gonna do now? She's still gone and…" Metal screeches as his demon hand bends the frame under his grip. "This is just like Fortuna. I was too weak to protect her then, and now she's been taken all over again. I'm supposed to keep her safe but this shit just keeps happening, because of me."

Dante wads up his trash and shoves it in his pocket. "Ah come on, you don't know that—"

Nero whirls on him, the edges of his eyes glowing, the devil inside him kept at bay with the barest threads of sanity. "It's because of me, and you, and him—" Nero points at Vergil, who tenses in response, "—and Sparda—I wish I wasn't a part of this fucking family!"

Dante can feel his own demon powers rallying inside in response, but he tempers it easily even as he sets his jaw. "Fighting me ain't gonna get you anywhere," he warns.

"It'll make me feel a hell of a lot better."

"Nero," Vergil says in a warning tone.

Dante can't help but stiffen a bit. He has no idea what to say at this point, if there is anything that _can_ be said to calm the kid down. But he knows for sure whatever lecture Vergil has planned is going to end with them all bloody, so he sighs and shakes his head, bracing himself for it.

To his surprise, Vergil simply says, "Come on. It's getting late."

Nero blinks in surprise when Vergil turns and starts walking up the road, his strides purposeful. He glances at Dante who gives the kid a smile and a shrug, slinging the bag over his shoulder and following. He smiles at the stunned silence behind him, only broken when Nero shouts, "Where are you going?"

Dante turns and walks backward, squinting at bit at Nero's silhouette illuminated by the headlights. "Gotta be something up the road," he calls back. "Best to keep moving."

He stares at the back of Vergil's head as they continue on, and a half minute later the headlights go out. Dante can hear Nero's footsteps hurrying up behind them, and again he smiles to himself. He picks up the pace a bit, a renewed energy letting him pass Vergil, who makes a noise behind him. "Don't walk in front of me," Vergil mutters. He moves a bit faster to catch up with Dante, making sure to walk just fast enough to stay a half step ahead.

Dante picks up his pace in answer. "Too slow, old man."

Vergil starts walking so quickly he is nearly jogging, and Dante begins trotting along to pull ahead. "What are you doing?" Nero calls behind them, but neither brother answers. Their speed increases incrementally until they are both moving at a quick jog, when Dante gives Vergil a shove.

"Watch it!" he snaps.

"Watch you eat my dust," Dante laughs.

He sprints forward, running as fast as he can. "That doesn't even make sense!" Vergil yells behind him, and a moment later he appears by his side, the two racing down the highway in the dark.

* * *

The little office of the rundown motel is crowded with all three Spardas inside. There is just the front counter in front of a wall with dangling keys, the attendant looking up at them in a surprised half-daze, as they squeeze into the waiting room. Nero looks around at the stained green carpet and the calendar on the wall that is three years late, his skin itching just being in here. "Van broke down about thirty miles back," Dante says. "You got a phone we can use for a tow?"

The attendant leans over to turn the volume down on the little television set on the counter. "Only tow around here is Richie, but he won't answer this late. You'll need to wait until morning."

Nero huffs and pushes his way through the other two. "We're in a hurry."

The guy squints his eyes up at him. "You fellas in the circus or something?"

Dante gives a loud laugh. "Something. Since we gotta wait, you got a room? Three of them."

"Yeah." He pulls out a book and starts to write. "It'll be ninety dollars, plus tax."

Vergil and Dante exchange a look. "All you, brother," Vergil says.

"I ain't got it." He nods to Nero. "You can cover, right?"

"Not after I had to pay that woman and then buy you pizza," Nero mutters. "I only have another thirty on me."

Dante leans on the counter. "What can we get for thirty?"

The attendance swallows. "One room for the three of you. Checkout is at ten."

Nero grumbles under his breath, pushing past Vergil to go outside. After chasing down the two idiots they had spotted the neon Vacancy sign, heading over from the highway. It is nearly three in the morning now, and Nero can feel tiredness in his muscles and joints between the driving, the fight, and then the run. A shower and a couple of hours of sleep actually had sounded good, even in a fleabag place like this, but he still itches to get back to Fortuna and look for more clues.

The room is as bad as he had feared. Two double beds are inside, the mattresses lumpy and the blankets looking unwashed. Dante immediately flops on one, his frame taking up the entire space as he crosses his legs and props his hands behind his head. "Not so bad," he says as Nero and Vergil exchange a glance.

"It's awful," Vergil says.

Nero reluctantly agrees, watching as Vergil steps through the room tentatively. He turns and looks at Nero and says, "I'm not sharing the bed."

"Don't bother," Nero snaps. "I'm not gonna sleep anyway."

He strides through the room to the bathroom. The tile is cracked and dirty and the shower looks like it hasn't ever been cleaned, and he doesn't even want to look as he closes the toilet and sits down on the lid. In the next room he can hear Dante flip the television on as Vergil gripes about the inch of dust on the bedside table. Guilt fills his stomach as he thinks about the way he destroyed the van and railed against them both. Nero heaves a sigh, dropping his head down. Despite his tantrum, they had stayed with him, and hadn't given him any grief about the van. That has to mean _something_.

"Hey kid!" Dante pounds on the door, startling him. "There's a vending machine, you want something?"

Nero chuckles. "Sure," he replies.


	6. The Sparda Family Tree

Nero sits on the stained carpet, his back against the foot of the bed. He stares out the window, watching the occasional set of headlights drive by on the highway. The room is dark except for the glow of the television, turned to a muted religious station, where a preacher silently rails against the evils of humanity. On the bed opposite, Vergil snoozes with the occasional soft snore; behind him, Dante is stretched out on the mattress, munching loudly on his fourth bag of chips.

He jumps when something lands with a crunch on his lap. Nero looks down to see a small bag of salt and vinegar potato chips on his thigh. "Eat some more, kid," Dante says.

"Not hungry." Nero puts the bag on the floor next to him and turns back to the window.

"Gotta keep up your strength," Dante warns.

"I said I'm not hungry."

Dante doesn't answer. A few more minutes tick by, and Nero starts to feel antsy. He takes out his cell phone and presses the power button, seeing that it isn't even five yet. But there is a voicemail, so he quickly hits the call button and listens.

To his disappointment, it's just Nico. "Kids are down, dishes done, and I'm going back to the garage," she says on the message. "You owe me."

He grumbles under his breath as he ends the call. "Anything good?" Dante asks.

"No. Just Nico saying the kids were fine," sighs Nero.

"You're pretty good with them."

Nero snorts. "They're just kids. It's not that hard."

"I don't know about that." He hears Dante shift on the bed and open up another bag, the cellophane crunching loudly in the quiet room. "Not like you had anyone to show you how."

He looks over his shoulder at Dante, who is propped up on one elbow as the other hand fishes in the bag. His gaze then slides to Vergil, also on his side, only his back visible to them. "Even if he was around, doesn't mean he'd be any good at it," Nero mutters.

"That's true. We had our dad for a while and look how well we turned out."

Nero shifts to the side so he can look at Dante. "So you did know Sparda then?"

"Sure." He wipes his fingers on the bag, making more crinkling sounds, and then tears open a candy bar. "He didn't disappear until we were six or seven, so we knew him… A bit, anyway."

"He disappeared?" Nero frowns. "I don't think you ever told me that."

Dante shrugs. "Well I guess I just did."

Nero listens to him chew for a moment before asking, "Do you know for certain he's dead?"

"I dunno," Dante replies through chocolate and nougat. "I mean, he didn't come back, and he let Mother die. So yeah, he's probably dead." They lock eyes, and Nero quickly looks away. "Why you ask?"

"Just thinking about what Lir said." Nero focuses on a spot on the carpet as he remembers the empath's words. "A demon related to me."

Dante sits up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Nah. Sparda was a lot of things, but this ain't one of them."

"But you just said you only knew him a bit," argues Nero.

Dante leans an elbow on his knee and points at Nero. "So you're suggesting a two thousand year old demon, who has been _missing_ for three decades, has come back to kidnap your girlfriend?"

Nero shrugs. "I don't know. It's possible, isn't it?"

"It's ludicrous." They both look over at the sound of Vergil's voice, and he rolls over to shoot them a disdainful look. "Sparda is gone. And he would not do something to harm you."

"How do you know?" Nero argues.

"Because he regarded family above all else," Vergil says simply.

Dante gives a laugh, shaking his head, and Nero looks between them in confusion. "If Sparda was such a family man, then why did he leave you?" he asks.

The question is meant innocently enough, Nero's curiosity getting the better of him and curing him of his aversion to saying more than three words to Vergil. But Vergil jumps to his feet and growls, "He didn't leave."

"Then where is he?"

"I don't know. But he didn't leave." Vergil straightens his back, visibly trying to adjust his composure. "It's impossible. He loved our mother too much to just _leave_. Either he was killed, or something else stopped him from returning."

Nero feels an uncomfortable heat on his ears, and he glances at Dante. He feels a bit relieved that Dante does not look angry, but his head is bowed. "You guys never figured it out, did you?" Nero asks.

Dante huffs a laugh. "Never did. Tried for a while, but… nothing really to find." He looks up as Vergil sits on his own bed, and when they glance at one another, Nero is struck by how similar they are at that moment. "Suppose we should, one day."

"Maybe," Vergil replies. "Supposing you stop trying to kill me long enough."

"Me? Try to kill you?" Dante laughs. "I think you have that backwards, brother."

"I could help," Nero offers. They both turn at the same time, and Nero shrugs. "When this is over, and we get Kyrie back. I can help you look."

Vergil looks surprised, but Dante grins wide and leans over to pat him hard on the shoulder. "Sounds great! The Spardas on another road trip!"

"Yes, because this one is going so well," Vergil comments with a roll of his eyes.

Nero actually chuckles at that, rubbing the back of his head when Dante throws a bag of pretzels at him. "You never liked having fun. Even back then."

Vergil picks up the pretzels and throws them back at Dante, hitting him in the chest. "No, I just didn't like having fun with _you._ Mother and I did plenty of things together."

"Mama's boy," Dante teases as he rips open the bag and tilts his head back to dump the pretzels into his mouth.

Before it dissolves into an argument, Nero quickly asks, "What was Eva like?" Vergil frowns at him again, and Nero moves off the floor to sit at the end of Dante's bed. "I don't know anything about them at all."

Dante is still chewing, but Vergil looks visibly uncomfortable. Nero swallows thickly, wondering if he did the wrong thing, but then Vergil finally says, "She was lovely. Very beautiful and kind. Strong. Not unlike your Kyrie."

They look at one another for a long moment, and some of the worry that had simmered inside Nero begins to subside. He knows how difficult it can be to talk about the past, and it occurs to him that Vergil must feel just as badly about being abandoned as he does—more, possibly, since he actually knew his parents. Dante never seemed bothered, so Nero had assumed Vergil was the same way. Again he feels a wave of emotion as he thinks about them both being here in this awful motel room in the middle of the night, just for him, fighting demons and driving everywhere and having a dinner of stale potato chips, just to help _him._ Dante and Vergil are hardly the best family, but they are here, and that counts. Big time.

His cell phone rings, startling Nero out of his reflection. He pulls it out of his pocket and frowns to see how early it still is. The number is unfamiliar, but he swipes to accept the call. "Maybe it's the tow," he says as he lifts the phone to his ear. "Yeah?"

"Nero?"

He sucks in a sharp breath, his heart plummeting at the sound of her voice. "Kyrie? Is that you?"

"Yes, Nero, I—"

"Where are you?"

The others are on their feet, crowding around him, but Nero waves them off. One of them turns on the light as he tries to listen. "I don't know," she says. "They gave me something to read to you."

"They?" Fury rapidly fills him, and the pictures of Kyrie hurt and scared that he had tried to ignore come back rapidly in his mind.

"Two men. I—" She is cut off and there is a muted yelp, followed by muffled sounds. "Kyrie!" Nero shouts. "Kyrie!"

Another voice answers, deep, sounding strange as if he is disguising it. "One moment. The young lady broke the rules, so we must remind her of her instructions."

Panic swells in Nero's throat as he shouts, "You hurt one fucking hair on her, I swear to god—"

"Nero, please listen." Kyrie's voice interrupts him, and he chokes back a curse when he hears her. She sounds a bit breathless, as if she had been crying, and there is a burning behind his eyes and in his throat at how soft she sounds. "I've not been harmed. They will return me to you in exchange for the fortune."

"The what?" Nero hisses. "What fortune?"

"They want the remainder of the family fortune. All of it." She sucks in a sharp breath and whispers, "I tried to tell them, there is none, but they—no!"

"Kyrie!"

More movements, then the second voice returns. "Be at the clock tower in the center of Fortuna in two days."

The phone goes dead, and Nero gasps. "Wait! Wait!" Frantically he presses the redial button, but all he gets is a busy tone. He tries again and again, but the number won't connect, and in his frustration he throws his phone across the room, where it breaks into pieces when it hits the wall. "Damn it! Fuck!"

"Nero." Dante's hand on his arm actually steadies him, even though Nero finds it hard to breathe. "What did they say?"

"They want the fortune. Family fortune." His lip trembles as he looks up at Dante. "I don't have a fortune! I don't even have…" He looks between the two brothers, blinking back tears. "Is there money? I saw, in Urizel's vision, that was your home, right?"

Dante shakes his head. "There is nothing. It's all gone."

"The house is gone, but what about the money?" Nero pulls away, his eyes darting between them. "You had to have money, so where is it?"

"We told you that our father disappeared," Vergil snaps. "How are we supposed to know?"

"What about Eva?" Nero demands. "Her family? Did she leave a will, anything like that?"

"She was killed by an army of demons who burned our home to the ground," Veril growls. "What do you think, we're sitting on a treasure chest of some sort? All of it is gone, including this fortune, if it ever even existed."

Nero feels dizzy, and stumbles over to the wall, holding himself up with his palms and pressing his forehead to the cool surface. His heart is beating fast, too fast, but the wall is cool on his burning skin.

Behind him, Dante asks, "What do a bunch of demons want with money anyway?"

"Money is power in this world," Vergil answers.

Clenching his fist, Nero pounds on the wall. "We need to get some then. They want a fortune, so we get one." He smiles, a plan forming in his mind. "We can rob a bank. Someplace with money. The three of us, if we devil trigger then nobody can stop us."

"Woah, slow down there, kid," Dante barks. "You're talking about breaking the law."

An idea hits him and he turns around eagerly. "I know! The Order. Or what's left of it. They have all that money, we just have to take it. We deserve it anyway, we suffered just as much if not more than the city. We saved the city!" He grins at Dante. "You and I saved the city. And it was all raised in Sparda's name, right? That makes it practically ours."

Nero frowns as Dante shakes his head and says, "Nah. I'm not above a lot of things but I'm not interested in stealing."

"It's not stealing," Nero growls. "Kyrie is only in this position because of the Order and what they did. If anyone deserves that money, it's us. And her."

"And then what?" Nero glances at Vergil, who folds his arms as he wears a very pointed and unamused expression. "You go and take the wealth this Order left. And you deliver it in a bag to these people? Don't you think someone will _notice_ it's gone? And we have no guarantee they'll even give her back."

"I have to try!" he shouts. "I have to do something, because I promised I'd protect her, and they fucking have her! Don't you get it?" He storms over to the side of the room, where he had tossed his coat and his gun. "You know what? I don't need you. Either of you. I can do this myself."

He pushes past Dante, who steps up to stop him. "Wait a minute, Nero, we don't even have a car—"

"I'll use devil trigger. I can get back to Fortuna that way." He stops at the door, his hand on the knob. Once more his arm is glowing, the demon blood still under control beneath his flesh, but ready for his word. Using the demon powers like this is something he usually avoids at all cost; but if it will allow him to save Kyrie, so be it.

Nero takes a deep breath and glances over his shoulder. "You coming or not?"

The second the words leave his mouth, he already knows the answer. Having them both with him during this had felt good. But now their disapproval stings more than he could have guessed.

He looks first at Vergil, who regards him coldly. Even though Vergil is his father, Nero doesn't care what he thinks, and definitely doesn't care if he comes along. It is what he has been telling himself from the minute they returned from the demon realm, and Vergil had not raised the fuss he had expected of a father reuniting with his son. Better to just leave it, he had decided for himself, those months ago; after all, he had never needed Vergil's or anyone's approval to get by, and getting his support now means nothing. But somehow the disapproving stare hurts, and he grits his teeth against the wave of shame that fills him under Vergil's glare.

Dante is just as opposed, but his expression is more uneasy. Nero _does_ care what he thinks, and he hates that, especially now when he knows that Dante's right. Their relationship is stronger, built with every monster and every can of beer and every bad joke, and had even survived Nero's anger at Dante for hiding the truth. In fact, Nero tries to remember a time when Dante _didn't_ have his back, and fails, meaning this is the first time since they had met that he will truly be alone. He can feel his face burning, muttering a curse under his breath as he squeezes the doorknob. "Fine," he snaps.

He swings open the door and stops short. To his shock, Morrison is standing there, his brows raised, as Nero gapes at him. "What the hell?"

"Can I come in?" Morrison asks. He steps by and removes his hat without waiting for Nero to answer. "Took me a while to track you boys down. You left a mess on the interstate."

"Our mistake," Dante says. He folds his arms and asks, "What are you doing here?"

"I got something for you." He looks over his shoulder at Nero and jerks his chin. "You'll want to see this too."

The others move as Morrison walks to the television, but Nero remains frozen. Breathing deeply, he looks out into the night, dark and hidden beyond the glow from the motel. Kyrie is there, alive. But going now means going alone.

Nero looks down at his arm, the faint glow still pulsing beneath his skin. He can do it with this power, but does he want to?

"Nero."

He turns at Dante's voice. Dante nods at the television. "Come see this."

Morrison had attached a small device to the set, and warily Nero steps closer. "What is it?"

"It's Kyrie," Morrison says with a grim smile.


	7. Devil Boys And Devil Arms

Dante's eyes narrow as he watches the screen. It _is_ her, on a grainy security camera, standing on a corner and waiting for the light to change. He recognizes the flower shop behind her, one he passes by in Fortuna on the times he's headed over there, and he swallows thickly when she glances upwards as if looking at them. The film plays without sound as she checks her phone and lifts it to her ear. Then a van pulls up, the back opening, and Dante's blood turns cold as he watches a man exit out the back and drag Kyrie inside, her mouth open in a silent scream. The light changes and the van peels away, the back door slamming shut with the force, and Morrison pauses the video.

"It's not demons at all," Dante sighs.

"Nope," Morrison replies. "Just your regular, run-of-the-mill greedy ass humans."

"We don't know that for sure," Nero says sharply, glaring at Morrison. "How did you get this?"

Morrison shrugs. "You needed help. I delivered." Then his mouth curves a bit wryly. "You can just make out the license plate. Easy enough to get an address. You want it?" He nods towards the door. "I brought a car."

Nero looks at the others, and Dante lets go a slow breath, waiting for the kid to decide. If it is humans, that changes everything—and if he's being honest, Dante doesn't know what they should do. Killing demons is one thing; he never was good with humans.

"Let's go," Nero says through gritted teeth.

Morrison's car is an old-fashioned town car, well-loved and well-cared for. Dante climbs in the front as Morrison starts it up, and they pull out of the parking lot with a squeal of the tires. He heads towards Fortuna, the world around them a deep gray as it waits for the sun to start to rise.

"Are you disappointed it isn't demons, Nero?" Morrison asks.

Nero huffs in the backseat. "We don't know for sure it's not demons. Or people working for demons."

"Nico said that there are plenty of people after Kyrie," Dante muses. He leans an elbow on the window and taps a finger to his lips thoughtfully. "Might be old Order leftovers after all."

"It doesn't make sense," Nero insists. "Kyrie was doing so much _good_ for everyone. No one in the Order blamed her for what happened, and neither did the city. I don't believe Nico, no one was after her. This has to be demons trying to get to me."

Dante glances over his shoulder. "I don't know. I've known a lot of shitty people."

"This is why I don't care for humans," Vergil sighs. Dante smiles humorlessly and shakes his head. "What?" Vergil snaps. "At least with demons you know what to expect. Humans can look like one thing and be another. Not worth the trouble."

"That's stupid," Nero mutters. "Kyrie is human. So is Morrison. So am I."

Vergil snorts. "Not completely."

"You always like shooting that back at me, don't you?" growls Nero. Dante rubs his face at the sudden sharpness in his tone; just when the kid was finally calming down and focusing, Vergil gets under his skin again, innocently or not.

"That you're half-demon?" Vergil challenges. "You are."

Nero's hand clenches into a fist. "Quarter. My mother was human."

"There is more than enough of Sparda's blood in you," replies Vergil.

"Well I didn't ask for that!"

"You say that a lot, you know. It gets old," Vergil complains, Dante listening with a growing aggravation. "We all know how you came to be."

"As if I had a choice," mutters Nero.

"None of us were dealt the life we would have chosen. But _unlike_ you, the rest of us deal with it."

Nero folds his arms with a pout. "Easy for you to say. You don't know shit about my life, since you left it."

Vergil lets out a low growl. "How long will you be punishing me for that? I didn't know."

"You say that a lot," Nero snaps. "It gets old."

"You—"

"Hey, lay off," Dante says gruffly.

Nero's mouth twists into a smile. "Yeah, lay off."

Dante turns around from the front seat and narrows his eyes. "Not him. _You._ You need to get over all this shit."

"What?" Nero gapes.

He points his finger at Nero, trying to keep his temper in check. "Stop blaming Vergil for everything. He didn't know about you. And yeah he's a pain in the ass and a prick and will probably end up fucking everything up—"

"Thanks," Vergil mutters.

"—but he didn't. Fucking. _Know."_ Dante leans his arm over the back of the seat and Nero shrinks back. "But he knows now. We both do. And you don't give me half the shit you give him. So lay off."

Nero doesn't respond to the chastisement, turning to look out the window with a scowl. Vergil is as seemingly nonplussed as ever, which also annoys him. "And you're such an asshat," Dante sighs. "Kid is scared, anyone can see that. He loves Kyrie and she's _missing._ He just watched her get taken away, and that hurts like hell. At least pretend you care."

"I know he loves her. He says it every two minutes." Vergil leans forward, looking Dante straight in the eye. "I'm sick of being blamed for every problem he has. Nero needs to grow up."

"He has grown up! You'd see that if you'd open your damn eyes," counters Dante. "He's got kids at home and a family and it's a fuck ton more than either you or I have. And _he_ did it on his own."

"He's not the only one who has been on his own," argues Vergil.

Anger swells inside Dante, his fingers digging into the leather seat. "We were _both_ on our own."

"It made us stronger," Vergil states matter-of-factly.

"Are you saying you wouldn't change anything?" Dante practically shouts. "If you could go back, you would have still wanted to be alone?"

Vergil rolls his eyes. "What a moronic question. We can't go back, so what is the point of asking?"

"The _point_ is that you still haven't learned a damn thing."

"Okay, enough," Nero says. He puts his hand out as if to keep the two apart, the change in him surprising Dante. His expression is almost pleading, his voice tight. "You guys have done nothing but argue since we started. Can you just… just _can_ it already?" His lips press together into a thin line. "We gotta get to Kyrie. And…" Nero clears his throat. "I'm sorry for snapping at you both. I really am. We gotta do this together, and we can't be fighting."

There is a long silence, and once again Dante finds himself trying to figure out what to say; but _again,_ before he can think of something, Vergil says, "We haven't fought the _whole_ time. Don't exaggerate."

"Yeah," Dante laughs. "And besides, we're fighting about _you._ You should be happy we care enough."

Nero glances between them incredulously. "You're both so fucked up."

The brothers both start to laugh, and Dante laughs even harder when he sees Nero's confused look. "Yeah, but aren't families supposed to be fucked up?"

"Mine isn't," Morrison says.

Dante groans and slides down a bit in his seat, stretching as best as he can. "Pipe down and drive," he mumbles, smiling when Vergil snorts behind him.

* * *

They are a few miles from Fortuna when Dante says, "Let's go to Red Grave City first. We can load up at the shop."

Morrison takes the next exit and weaves through the early morning streets, mostly empty as the sun is just rising. Nero climbs out of the car and follows in last, thinking about how he had rushed in there maybe twelve hours before, frantic to find Kyrie. It will be almost twenty-four hours since whoever those guys are had taken her, and he can still hear her voice, soft and insistent and afraid on the phone.

"Let's go," Dante says, leading them inside.

Nero is surprised to find Nico there, half-dozing on the couch. She jumps up when Dante calls over, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and stretching.

"What are you doing here?" he asks as he strides over. "What about the kids?"

"They're fine, don't worry." She glances over her shoulder where Dante and Vergil move around the shop, pulling items from the wall and from inside various furniture. "I figured you'd end up here, so I took a cab over and brought Red Queen. And I wanted to get the latest, see if I could help."

"Thanks, but you should go home and get some sleep," Nero says gruffly.

He turns to walk away but Nico grabs his arm. "No way! How am I supposed to sleep when Kyrie is missing?" Nero pauses when he hears the slight catch in her voice. "I care about her too. Do you know where she is yet? You have to, if you're here, right?"

"Morrison has a lead," he sighs. "He thinks it's humans, but just in case, we're gearing up."

Nico nods. "I can drive."

"Actually…" Nero rubs the back of his neck, his expression sheepish. "We had some trouble with the van."

"Trouble?" Nico's eyes narrow into dangerous slits. "What _trouble?"_

"Nothing you can't fix!" He tries to sound cheery as he claps her on the arm. But his fatigue makes his nerves feel thin, and when Nico doesn't relent he sighs. "The van is… kind of wrecked."

"Wrecked!" she shouts. "What about my things? My work? What did you do?"

"They're fine, I promise!" He puts up his hands as Nico starts to advance on him. "We got attacked by some demons and had to get out of there fast, and something must have blown—"

"Where is the van now?" she growls.

Nero gives a little shrug. "We left it on the highway. I'll get it towed, don't worry."

Nico sighs loudly. "It's fine. When you're done you can run me up there, and I should be able to figure it out and fix it. Don't want no tow truck driver poking through my stuff anyway."

"Yeah, I don't know if you're gonna be able to fix it that easy. I kinda got mad and…" He drops his head and moans, "I fucked up, okay? Seems to be what I do best."

Nico grinds her teeth as she looks at him furiously, before finally rolling her eyes. She puts her hands on her hips and snaps, "Stop being such a pussy. Man up and get Kyrie back." Then she pauses, sucking in a sharp breath, before saying quietly, "We _need_ her."

He glances up to catch Nico's lip trembling slightly, which is more alarming than he wants to admit. "Keep it together," he mumbles, and Nico laughs.

"So if I'm not driving, what can I do?" she asks. Before she can answer, she looks over Nero's shoulder, then gasps and pushes him out of the way. "Wait! What are you doing with those?"

Nero turns to see Vergil and Dante carrying armfuls of weapons, dropping them unceremoniously on the floor. "What the hell?" Nico cries. She crouches down on the ground, glaring up at the two men viciously. "You can't treat these weapons like this!"

"Most of them used to be demons," replies Dante as he scratches his head. "Pretty indestructible."

"Ugh, you don't know anything," she scoffs. Nero folds his arms as she starts sorting through the Devil Arms, amused by her exasperation. "These are more than works of art—they're living weapons! You can't sling 'em around like a sack of potatoes!"

Nero snorts as Dante and Vergil exchange a look. "We need to go kick some ass," Dante says in explanation.

She shoots a sharp stare at them both. "I'll kick _your_ ass if you don't pipe down for a minute while I figure this out."

Nico returns to her sorting, while Dante grumbles. "She used to be a fan of mine, you know," he says to Vergil.

Vergil looks decidedly unimpressed. "Hard to believe that. The girl obviously knows what she's talking about." Nero spies how he watches Nico, his lips pressing together as he sees an idea that could only mean trouble sparking behind Vergil's eyes. "I've been saying for months that I should have these items, not Dante. Don't you agree? Nico, wasn't it?"

Nero is about to object when Nico stands, hands on her hips. "Neither of you deserve this stuff. These should be in a museum or something." Vergil scowls at her, but Nico ignores him and continues, "But none of this is gonna do you any good anyway. You can't fight humans with this stuff. It'll be a bloodbath."

"Maybe we _want_ a bloodbath," Vergil argues.

"We _don't_ want a bloodbath," says Dante.

"I wouldn't mind a bloodbath," replies Vergil with a shrug.

"Well I know _you_ wouldn't but—"

"Okay, okay," Nero interrupts. "Nico, what do we do then?"

She considers a moment before giving him a sideways glance. "You boys are pretty… big. Just use your fists."

Vergil frowns deeply at the idea, but Dante grins and rubs his hands together. "Yeah, now we're talking! Get a little one-two action going on." He starts to hop from one foot to the other, pretending to jab at Vergil's arm, bobbing and weaving like a boxer. "Kick some ass the old fashioned way."

Nero hides a chuckle as Morrison joins them. "Got the address," he says, holding up his little notepad. "You boys ready?"

"Who is it?" Nero asks.

Morrison flips it open. "Traced the plate to an owner, last known address just outside of Fortuna." He nods to Nico. "Looks like your girl was on the money."

Nico looks smug but Nero feels a surge of anger. Kyrie had been there the whole time, as he was running from city to city chasing after nothing? "What's the name?" he demands.

"Mammon," Morrison says.

"Mammon?" Nico tilts her head. "I know that name." Nero's brows go up as he watches her think. "I read it in my asshole old man's stuff."

"One of the Order?" Nero growls.

Slowly she shakes her head. "No. Mammon was a demon in his research."

Nico gives him a pained look, and Nero feels his blood go cold. "Looks like we're gonna need those Devil Arms after all," he says.


	8. Shut Up And Start Talking

Nero takes a steadying breath as he stares at the building across the street. The address Morrison had provided had led them to what looks like a closed shop, an apartment on top, in the middle of a perfectly normal street in Fortuna. He had let them borrow a car, and Nico drove as she rattled off what little she remembered about the demon named Mammon. The city is just starting to wake up, the bagel shop on the corner opening its doors and a smattering of people leaving for work or school, but mostly the street is quiet.

He checks his holster out of habit, then reaches back to press his fingers on Red Queen's handle. It's a ritual he usually does before walking into a job, reassuring himself that he has both at hand. His arm is laden with extra weight, however, and he glances at his wrist as it moves to his side, flexing his hand under the weapon Artemis that is now attached to him. He tugs the sleeve of his jacket down, wanting to remain as inconspicuous as possible for as long as they can. Sneaking into the building is definitely their best play.

Artemis had seemed the easiest one to choose, not wanting to be left out when Dante and Vergil had squabbled over their choices as they strapped weapons to their bodies. They look more than strange now with so much gear, and Nero's brow twitches when he examines them both next. Vergil is already holding Yamato in his right hand, Cerberus in his other as Nico straps Beowulf to his limbs. The ensemble makes his appearance stick out in the pale light of the morning, and Nero grimaces.

Dante is no better, wearing the cowboy hat gifted to him by Nico, Nevan strapped to his front and his Devil Sword strapped to his back. He was going to bring Agni and Rudra too, but after the two swords argued over who would wear the hat Dante had left them behind. Nero had wondered how he would use his guns or his swords with the scimitars as well, but decided that whatever answer he received wouldn't be worth the ask in the end.

He remembers what the motel clerk had said about them looking like the circus, and Nero has to agree at this point.

"Ready to roll?" Dante asks.

"Shouldn't we have a plan first?" The brothers look at him in slight confusion, and he sighs. "Kyrie is in there. We can't just bust in with guns blazing. We need to be _careful_."

"Let me go in," Vergil says. "I'll kill them all before they even realize I'm there."

"We're not killing anyone either, not unless we have to," growls Nero. "They might be humans. And if we kill them, then we won't find out why they did this, and if they're working for someone."

Vergil grumbles a half-hearted agreement as Dante tilts his head up. "You got an idea, kid?"

"...No," he admits, looking back at the brick building.

"Y'all are a bunch of dumbasses," Nico says as she straightens. She pulls out her cell phone and swipes the screen, giving it a tap as she scrolls. "Can't believe I gotta rely on damn Wikipedia for this shit. I got plenty of research on Mammon in my _van."_ She gives Nero a scowl on the last word before turning back to her phone.

Nero swallows in embarrassment as she reads. "Okay, Mammon is one of the seven princes of hell. Can't believe you guys haven't faced him before."

Dante shrugs. "They all kind of blur together. But the name doesn't ring a bell."

"His thing is greed. Money, wealth, profit, that kind of thing."

"That's why they want this fortune," Vergil says. "If Mammon really is behind this, it makes sense."

"But how do we kill him?" Nero asks.

"Doesn't exactly say," she replies.

Dante flicks the brim of his hat. "Same way we do every time."

Nico folds her arms with one of those know-it-all looks he hates. "Just go in there and get her. With all this stuff you shouldn't have any trouble. You'll probably scare the shit out of them before you even get a chance to fight. Something tries to kill you, kill it first. Leave one alive. Jesus, a _baby_ could do this."

"I'll go in," Nero growls, knowing this for sure won't be _that_ easy. "The two of you cover me. Stay hidden unless you have to fight."

"Nah, not my style," Dante replies. He pulls Ebony and Ivory out and jerks his head. "Three of us are goin' in together. Let's go."

He nudges Vergil and the two cross the street. Nero watches for a moment, but before he can take a step Nico grabs his sleeve. "Don't fuck this up."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he grumbles.

Nero checks to make sure the street is clear before crossing. The air takes on an unusual quality, the only sound a muted thunk of his boots as he walks across the street. He stops in front of the door and gives the street one more backward glance before leaning in to listen. Vergil and Dante move on either side of him, watching his back.

There is no sound inside. He pulls Blue Rose and with one quick movement, he activates his demon power long enough to bang his shoulder against the door and pop it open. In a flash he is inside, arm extended as he sweeps the room.

The other two sweep in, one of them kicking the door shut. They fan out together, Nero going straight as Dante and Vergil move towards either side. The room is empty, completely empty, no furniture even. The only light streams in through the dirty windows and Nero squints as dust dances in the air. On one side is a wide staircase that leads to the upper loft, which is also empty, although the space behind the guardrail is covered in shadow. Nero steadies his breath as he scans it with narrowed eyes, the revolver ready in his hand.

His heart pounds loudly in his ears as he slowly turns. The others also move slowly, Dante gripping his pistols while Vergil holds Yamato, both ready to fight. But there is nothing, not a footstep or a voice. "Anything?" Nero calls.

"Nothing," Vergil replies.

"I'll check upstairs," says Dante.

His footsteps echo as he takes them two at a time. Nero glances to the side as Vergil walks over. "Looks like an office or something back there," he murmurs, jerking his chin towards the back.

They approach together, and Nero points the revolver at the door, nodding at Vergil as he opens it. He enters first, Vergil at his back, turning until he finally lands on a lone figure in the center, giving a gasp when he recognizes Kyrie.

"Kyrie! Kyrie!" He holsters the gun as he rushes forward. She is tied to a desk chair and blindfolded, her head turning sharply at his voice. Quickly he pulls a gag from her mouth and the blindfold from her eyes, his hands shaking as he cradles her face.

"Nero," she says, her voice raw. "You found me."

"Of course, fuck, fuck." He presses his lips to hers for a quick moment before crouching down, starting to work on the cords around her arms and legs. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

"Just sore." He frees one of her arms, then the other, and his lungs struggle for breath as he watches her rub them together with a wince. "You came for me."

"Of course I came, shit, I gotta get you out of here." Nero bends down again to pull at the cords, cursing under his breath.

Behind him, Vergil says, "I'll go find Dante. Stay here."

He walks out of the office as Nero goes back to working on the knots. "Where are the guys that took you?"

"I don't know, they left before daybreak."

Nero grits his teeth. "Did they say why?"

Kyrie doesn't answer, so he glances up. Fear crosses her expression as she stares over his shoulder, but before he can turn and look he feels the barrel of a gun press to the back of his head. "Don't move."

Nero locks eyes with Kyrie. "Let her go," he growls.

"Not until our business is done," the voice behind him answers. "Don't look like you got our money."

The barrel pushes hard against his skull, forcing Nero to drop his chin a bit. "I'm working on it."

"Get up."

Nero raises his hands, trying to give Kyrie a reassuring look. Her eyes are wide in alarm, and he swallows thickly, his arms and back tensing in preparation to fight. Slowly Nero stands, his jaw clenching as he makes a quick calculation. Then he spins, his arm activating and grabbing for the gun, and just as the movement registers the guy shouts and pulls the trigger.

The shot goes wide, flying through the ceiling and bringing a piece down as the drywall crumbles. Nero yanks on the barrel of the gun, the metal twisting in his grip as his other hand swings. His fist connects to his jaw and sends the man through the wall of the office, more dust and drywall flying in the air as he crashes through and skids across the floor.

"Nero!"

Immediately he swings back to Kyrie, using his demon strength to snap the rest of the cords. "Stay here," he says, grabbing her and pushing her under the desk.

Kyrie scrambles underneath and he jumps through the hole in the wall. There are shouts from upstairs, but he can't worry about that right now. Nero moves in a flash over the guy, grabbing him from the floor and hitting him again. His devil arm holds him tightly by the collar of the shirt as he pulls Blue Rose, pointing it at his forehead.

The guy moans and shakes his head. He blinks his eyes clear, and then they widen on the gun. "Hey!" he shouts.

The flesh glows blue as his fingers sharpen into claws, and with the extra strength he easily holds him steady. "Stop struggling or I'll shoot," Nero growls.

"What the fuck is this!" he screams, his eyes wide in horror as he looks at the blue skin. "Danny!"

More commotion comes from behind them, and then a familiar shout of _"Jackpot!"_ makes Nero grin devilishly. "Looks like your friends are toast," he says. "Now tell me who the fuck you are."

"Fuck you!"

A body goes flying, slamming into the wall and crumpling to the ground. Both of them turn to see, and Nero peers through the dark room. It's not either Dante or Vergil, so he stands, dragging the guy by the collar behind him. "Dante!" he shouts.

The railing that lines the edge of the loft is now completely smashed, and Dante appears, giving him a wave. "Hey! You alive, kid?"

"Yeah," he calls back. "You good?"

"Just knocked some bozo out."

He jumps from above, sliding Ebony and Ivory into the holsters on his back. Vergil follows, but he strides over to them furiously, elbowing past Dante until he pulls up in front of Nero. "Which one of you shot me?" he demands.

Before he can answer, Yamato flashes in the air, the blade slicing between them. Nero pulls back to avoid its edge, and both he and the man he has pinned gape up at Vergil, who is scowling at them both. "It was him," they both answer in unison.

Vergil lowers the sword when Dante steps up and pats his arm. "It didn't even hurt," Dante laughs.

"Holy shit," the guy says. Nero glances down to see he has scrambled to his knees, looking between the two brothers with wide eyes. "Holy shit, you're real. You're really demon hunters."

Dante and Vergil exchange a glance as Nero gives the guy a shake. "Shut up," he orders. "Now start talking."

He gulps, his eyes darting from Nero's hand still electric blue and Vergil's sword. "You're Dante and Vergil, right? I'm Mickey. I'm your cousin."

"His _what?"_ Nero shouts.

"C-cousin," he stammers. "You're related to Eva, right?"

Blood rushes through Nero's veins, pulsing inside his head. From the corner of his eye he sees Dante and Vergil both tense, until a moment later Yamato is tilted and pressed to the base of his throat. "How do you know Eva?"

"Don't kill me! She's related. We're related!" he cries, his voice going wild.

"You're lying," says Vergil in a growl.

"I'm not! I swear!" He winces as the sword lifts to his neck. "My father was Eva's nephew on her father's side. My great-grandfather is your great-grandfather. He threw out his son and she inherited all the money." He glares up at Nero. "All I heard all my life is how we were robbed of our inheritance because Eva turned her parents against her brother. I just wanted my cut."

Nero eases back, dropping him in a heap. Yamato keeps the guy still on the ground as he turns to look at the others. "Is that true?" he asks Vergil.

"Of course it's not true," he growls. "Eva wouldn't do that."

"But you don't know that, do you?" Nero counters.

Vergil's eyes snap to him sharply. "Don't you think I would know what my own mother would do?" Nero huffs, wondering how to even begin answering that, when Vergil continues, "Besides, she never mentioned a brother, or a nephew."

"How did you know about us?" Dante asks. "Who told you who we are?"

"And it doesn't explain why you took Kyrie," Nero says threateningly. He points his gun at the man's head. "What does she have to do with it?"

"We just wanted the money! We weren't gonna hurt her!" he cries. He sits back on his legs and holds up his hands. "It's really you, isn't it? The demon hunters. He said you guys were Eva's kids and—fuck, I didn't think you'd kill Danny!"

"I don't kill humans, numbnuts," Dante says, then nods towards Nero. "But you better start talking before he shoots you. He's been _really_ wanting to shoot someone today."

"Already shot me," Vergil adds.

Nero raises his brows, and the kidnapper nods. "Okay. We knew Eva had two sons, and we tracked down Dante. We didn't know where the other one was." He swallows thickly and looks at Vergil. "You're Vergil, right? We couldn't find you."

"You keep saying 'we'," Vergil says.

"Yeah. Me and Danny. We're brothers too. Our pops knew there was money from the family and we figured we'd come and get our piece, you know? We tracked down Dante, but he lives in a shit hole, so it didn't make no sense."

"Hey!" Dante protests.

Vergil snorts. "He has a point."

"We saw this one there," he continues, nodding towards Nero, his eyes trained on the gun. "You're his kid, right? That's what we figured, you were always hanging around."

"Wrong again, asshat," Nero growls, pressing the barrel to his forehead.

"Okay! Sorry! We just thought—I mean you both got white hair and you both hunt demons, like damn! We thought you were his kid. So we watched you too and you and that girl live in that nice house with kids and all and figured _you_ had the cash. And you'd make a trade." He takes several quick, deep breaths. "We were just gonna trade. I swear we weren't gonna hurt her."

Dante puts his hands on his hips. "How did you find me?"

Mickey swallows thickly. "Mammon. He found us, told us he knew where Eva's kids were. He said he knew my pop. He knew a lot of shit, so I believed him."

"Wait," Nero frowns. "Mammon's a human?"

"A human?" he answers. "What are you talking about? What else would he be?"

He can feel the demon presence a split second later, like a pinprick on his neck. Nero turns at the same time as Dante and Vergil, and it's like a spark, a charge inside his chest. There is nothing but shadow, but it is _there,_ and he can almost hear Yamato buzzing in his head and the Devil Arms reacting, one by one, as he reaches up to pull Red Queen from his back. To his left, Dante grabs his own sword and laughs. "Looks like we get to kill something after all."

"He's mine," Nero mutters.

But Yamato stops him as Vergil lifts the sword to block his way. "Take Kyrie and get out of here."

"Screw that!" he bites out.

Nero turns to argue more, but before he can a figure finally materializes. It is just a man, tall and broad and thin, and for a second Nero blinks, thinking it is V. But that is impossible, and as it approaches, he sees the skin is without tattoos, the features more round than sharp, the black hair cropped neatly instead of laying in waves across its face. "Mammon!" Mickey shouts behind them. "Help me!"

"Isn't this interesting," Mammon says. The voice is certainly _not_ human, a deep rumble that makes Nero's stomach turn as he tightens his grip on Red Queen. "I came for riches, and instead, I got the sons of Sparda."

"Jokes on you," Dante answers. "You ain't getting us, and we don't have any money either. So you're wrong twice."

Mammon laughs. The demon takes another step forward, the shadows swirling around its arms and legs, almost sucking the oxygen from the room. "I don't care what Sparda did, you know," it says. "I was sick of Hell long before he came here. But I want that money."

"Did you not hear him, dipshit?" Nero snaps. "There's no money."

The demon laughs. "Then you're in real trouble."

It begins to grow, its body twisting out and up, stretching as the shadows pull it like taffy. "What the hell?" Mickey moans behind them. "What the fuck is this? Mammon!"

"It's a demon," Vergil says through gritted teeth. "Nero, take the humans and go."

"Like hell—"

Mammon gives a roar, reaching its arms out and grabbing the roof. It pulls, and Nero dodges to the right as a piece of drywall falls, choking on the dust that rises. He gasps as he sees the demon thrash around, taking out the rest of the wall to the office, and he is on his feet with a cry. "Nero! Get Kyrie and go!" Vergil shouts, but he doesn't need to be told twice.

He sheaths Red Queen and bolts to the office, jumping over a pile of rubble when something grabs his ankle. Nero lands with a crack of his chin on the ground, and he kicks hard, pulling himself free. The shadows themselves are attacking, reaching for him with solid arms and hands as Nero lifts his arm and shoots Artemis.

Arrows through the air and slice through the shadow, which disintegrates on contact. Mammon takes a step towards him, but then bullets sail from the other direction as Dante begins shooting. He covers Vergil who dashes forward so quickly Nero sees only a streak, and when Mammon roars as the first swipe of Yamato slices through him, he is up on his feet and running for the office again.

"Kyrie!" he shouts once through the hole in the wall. He drops to his knees and reaches for her, and from under the desk she grabs his hands, sliding when he pulls her out. "Time to go," he pants, hauling her against him, and Kyrie wraps her arms tightly around his neck as his right arm holds her to his hip.

Together they climb back through, and he hears Kyrie whimper over the sound of the others fighting Mammon. Dante and Vergil take turns distracting the demon as the other hacks at the shadows that protect it. Nero is itching to get a few blows of his own in, but Kyrie goes limp against him, and he realizes she is going to faint if he doesn't do something fast. "Come on," he says, scooping her up in his arms, and he runs in an arc in the room as she presses her face to his neck.

Mickey watches the melee with wide eyes, but he shakes himself as Nero approaches. "Save me! Save me!" he screams, grabbing at Nero's pant leg.

Nero aims a kick at him. "Get up."

He obeys immediately, limping as he stands. Nero leads them towards the door, and he pauses and sets Kyrie down. "Go get your brother," he says.

"I can't!" His eyes are wide as he stares back at the demon. "Fuck, what is that thing?"

"It's a demon, idiot!" Nero shouts. "You stupid asshole, your greed woke the fucking Prince of Money." He glances at Kyrie, taking a deep breath. "Can you stand?"

"Yes," she says breathlessly.

"Good. Go. Nico is outside. I gotta go save this asshole."

She presses a kiss to his cheek before darting for the door, and Nero winces as the sunlight streams in once it opens. Mickey also starts for the exit, but Nero grabs him by the shirt. "No fucking way," he growls. "You're coming with me."

"Don't kill me!" he whines.

"Let's get your brother, then I'll decide." Nero practically drags him along, heading to the other side of the room where Danny still lays unconscious on the ground. He uses Artemis and sends a few warning shots when the shadows slither too closely, and when they reach the body he lets go of Mickey and grabs the brother by the arm. Hauling him over his shoulder Mickey does the same, he practically drags him out of the door, the sun too bright when he hits the sidewalk, dropping the body on the ground.

"Nero!" Kyrie is there, and Nico, who eyes the two kidnappers as Mickey collapses next to his brother. "Cops are coming. This them?"

He can hear the sirens way off in the distance, and nods. "Yeah, they're humans. But Mammon is inside. I need to get back in there."

Kyrie grabs his arm. "Wait, Nero, please—"

A blast from inside has them on the ground, Nero twisting to cover Kyrie as he kneels over her. His ears are ringing as he looks back, gasping when he sees most of the building is gone—or rather, reduced to a heap, the only things standing a few structural walls.

"No!" Nero screams. "Dad! Dante!"

He runs and vaults himself over the bit of wall still standing, landing hard on the ground on the other side. Nero scrambles forward but skids to a stop when he sees both Dante and Vergil in the center, very much alive in front of the smoking carcass of the demon. Vergil is kneeling, leaning on Yamato for support, while Dante stands with his hands on his hips, stretching his back. Nero stumbles forward with a cry, and both turn to look at him, Vergil frowning and Dante grinning when he reaches them.

"You okay there, kid?" Dante pants with a laugh.

"Yeah," he says, shaking his head to clear it. "I thought you were both goners."

"Nah," scoffs Dante. "Bastard got mad he lost and thought he'd pull down the building. No biggie."

"Where is Kyrie?" asks Vergil as he stands. "Is she safe?"

Nero nods. "Yeah. She's out there, with Nico. I got the others out, too."

Dante grins and pats him on the shoulder. "Nice work. Knew you had it in you."

He laughs and shakes his head, and then the three pick their way back over the rubble, heading towards the street. Once they are clear of the building, Kyrie runs to him, and Nero pulls her into a fierce embrace, pressing his lips to her temple. For a long moment he holds her closely, his arms trembling a bit as his fingers slide into her hair. His heart beats wildly to have her safe, and here, her warmth pressed to his as he makes a silent vow to never, ever lose her again.

A gunshot rings out, followed by a cry, and he jerks up and pulls out Blue Rose, yanking Kyrie behind him. Mickey is howling and grabbing his thigh as Vergil looks smugly over him. "You shot me!" he yells. "What the fuck, you shot me!"

"What are you _doing?"_ Nero cries.

Vergil shrugs as he hands Ivory back to Dante. "He shot me first."

"Christ in hell." Nero rubs his neck, his shoulders drooping. "Now what?"

The sirens grow louder, so Dante says, "Give them to the police. They'll handle it."

He nods with a deep sigh. "Yeah. You two should go. I'm the only one here who is _supposed_ to have a weapon in Fortuna."

"Right." Dante hits Vergil on the shoulder. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Nero pulls Artemis from his arm and hands it to Dante. "Thanks for this. And for uh…" Suddenly embarrassed, he turns to the side, his arm snaking around Kyrie's waist and pulling her against his hip. "For what I said earlier, I mean…"

"No problem, kid." Dante grins and salutes him as he walks towards the car. "Come on, Vergil! You're buying breakfast."

Nero glances at Vergil, who regards him with an unreadable expression. "I guess we're done here," Vergil says.

"I uh…" He squeezes Kyrie's hip as he clears his throat. "Thanks. For your help and everything."

Vergil hesitates, looking as though he wants to say something. Nero swallows thickly, wanting to say something: maybe _thank you_ or _sorry about tonight_ or _hey I'm glad you didn't die back there,_ but none of it seems right, or not enough. They stare at each other for a long moment, but finally Vergil only nods before walking past them, following Dante. But he gives Nero a pat on the shoulder, and Nero's mouth quirks up a bit at the gesture.

"I'll drive them back," Nico says. She gives him a scowl before poking him in the chest. "Then you're taking me to my van."

"Fine," Nero sighs, waving her off.

Nero pulls Kyrie into another embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He strokes her hair gently, kissing the top of her head, his heart feeling grateful and his body tired when a groan catches his attention.

He glances over to see Mickey sitting on the ground, holding his bleeding leg and looking at him pathetically. "You're not really gonna tell the police, are you?" he moans. "Come on, dude, we're family!"

"Family, huh?" Nero laughs. "I got plenty already, thanks."

* * *

**A/N:** Only one chapter left! Thank you so much for reading. I'll see you next Friday for the conclusion!


	9. Epilogue: How To Lose A Fortune

Nero lounges on the couch, feet up on the ottoman, Kyrie curled up next to him. Her head rests on his shoulder, his hand rubbing her thigh as they watch a movie. It has been a few weeks since he had found her again, and he savors moments like this now, when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet and it can be just them together. Most guys his age are probably at a bar or club, but Nero must admit he likes this domesticity. Even though it was barely a full twenty-four hours, her disappearance had affected him, and only reinforced his determination to protect their family.

He turns and presses a kiss to the top of her head. Kyrie smiles up at him and wraps her arms around his, snuggling closer. "You look thoughtful," she murmurs.

"Just thinking of you," he replies.

Kyrie rests her head back on him, and Nero moves his arm around her waist, holding her tightly. _Protect their family._ The words had taken on a new meaning since his search. Particularly where Dante and Vergil stand; Nero has found his patience with them both is lasting a bit longer, his willingness to overlook their more ridiculous traits a bit easier. He had even started calling Vergil every few days to check on him or just say hello, even though the conversations are stilted and at times, uncomfortable. Dante is easier, but he always had been, their work allowing them a more natural way to bond and his natural goofiness not allowing any room for awkwardness.

He goes back to watching the movie, thinking about whether or not he should get Vergil a cell phone—a piece of technology the man is strangely against but would make all their lives a hell of a lot easier if he would just give in—when his own rings. Kyrie eases back as he fishes it out of his pocket, sighing when he sees Dante's number on the screen. "Yeah?" he chuckles as he swipes to answer.

"Hey kid, you home?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Cool."

The line goes dead and he frowns. Kyrie is sitting up, having paused the movie, and Nero looks over as she asks, "What was that?"

"Who knows."

Their front door bursts open, making them both jump. Dante and Vergil stroll inside, and it isn't so much the intrusion that has Nero gaping as what they are _wearing._ Vergi is in what is best described as a tuxedo; but it is purple, possibly velvet, with a tight doublet and a puffed collar, the monocle he wears and cane he carries completing the look of some medieval count. He flicks the tails of his coat behind him as he sits in their recliner, grinning.

Dante has taken the opposite track. His suit is bright orange, the shirt underneath unbuttoned to nearly his navel, several gold chains hanging on his chest. He taps his cowboy hat as he walks through the room, and when he does a turn Nero is startled to see he is wearing snakeskin boots that jingle with each step.

"What the actual fuck?" says Nero.

"Nero," Kyrie chastises with a laugh, her hand pressing to his arm as he continues to stare. Dante places a briefcase on the coffee table, and Nero shakes his head to see his fingers have several large, clearly fake gold rings.

"Wait until we tell you what happened," Dante says.

He and Kyrie exchange a glance. "Oh, I can't wait," he sighs.

Dante holds up his palms. "Get this. We were thinking, right, about what those dinguses said who took Kyrie. How mom's family had money. So we went to look, me and Vergil." He gestures between them. "We found the old house, and let me tell you, it looks like hell. But it's still there. I thought for sure there'd be some kind of, I don't know, strip mall or something there by now. But the land is untouched."

Nero looks between them. "Which means what?"

"Which means it still belongs to the Sparda family," Vergil says. "Not the bank. Which means Father and Mother had already paid it off."

"So we went to city hall in the nearest town," continues Dante. "Found the deed and everything. Sure enough, Eva Sparda, right there."

He pulls a piece of paper from his pocket, handing it to Nero. Kyrie peers over his shoulder as he reads, and just as Dante had described, it is a deed for two hundred and fifty acres of land, paid in full. "Wow," he says. "This must be worth a lot by now."

"Yeah! So Vergil and I went to the bank. We figured we could take out a loan, and use the place as collateral."

Nero frowns up at Dante. "You really think that's a good idea? Getting in more debt?"

"We didn't have to," Vergil says.

"What do you mean?"

Dante gestures excitedly as Vergil explains, "Once we gave our names, the banker recognized us. Said we had a safety deposit box there, that could only be opened when we came together."

"It's been there since we were born!" Dante exclaims. "It was opened when we were only a month old."

"So what was in it?" Nero asks, his own excitement starting to spark.

"Tons of stuff," Dante says. "Papers from the house, our birth certificates. Who knew I even had one?"

Nero chuckles. "You're official."

Dante nods. "I existed this whole time and never even knew."

"You've left out the best part," Vergil scolds him. "The deposit box also had the fortune those dinguses were after."

Both Nero and Kyrie give a gasp at the same time. "What do you mean, fortune?" Nero asks tightly.

"Stocks. Bonds. Stakes in all sorts of businesses." Dante grins and puts his hands on his hips. "Worth at least a million dollars."

The blood drains from Nero's face as he takes it all in. Their family, millionaires? This could be a game changer. They could move, get a bigger house, get out of the city like he's been dying to for years. They could afford to formally adopt. Samuel will be going to college in a few years—hell, Kyrie has been talking about taking classes too, and it can _happen._ A home, school, their futures secure.

His eyes slide to the briefcase on the table. "So what do we do?"

"Well," Dante says, rubbing the back of his neck. "It wasn't as easy as we thought. We called Morrison, and he hooked us up with his lawyer guy. We cashed in the money and paid off the debt we owed."

"_You_ owed," Vergil interjects.

"Well devil hunting isn't easy. And I didn't exactly have a steady stream of income spending three months in _hell,_ you know," Dante argues.

Nero shakes his head. "Wait. So there's nothing left?"

"Well I wouldn't say _that,"_ answers Dante. "I paid off the building, so I own it outright now. Then I paid the utilities, and the insurance I owed, and what I owed Lady, and what I had borrowed from Morrison, and paid all the back taxes."

"And I paid off my apartment, and the fines for um… some of my run-ins with the locals," Vergil adds.

"We also used some for these cool business outfits," Dante says. "What do you think?"

Nero blinks, but Kyrie answers, "You both look wonderful."

"We took your advice too, Nero," Vergil says quietly.

He frowns at his father. "My advice? What advice?"

"We hired a private investigator. Paid up front," replies Vergil. "We want to find out what happened to Sparda, once and for all. He is going to find us all the information he can, and then we're going to figure out where he is, and if he is alive."

"You'll come too, right?" Dante asks.

Nero hesitates for a moment before huffing out a laugh. "Sorry, I'm still processing all this." He glances at Kyrie, who is smiling broadly at him.

"It's amazing," she says sincerely.

"Yeah. Find Sparda, huh?" Nero chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'd be down for that. Sparda Family road trip, part two."

Dante cheers as Vergil chuckles, and Nero holds the deed out to return it. But Dante waves him off. "No, you keep it."

"What?"

"Vergil and I talked about it. You deserve something too, and neither one of us can take care of the place. You can sell it, or rebuild, or do whatever you want." Dante shrugs. "The property belongs to you now."

Nero looks between them in shock as Kyrie grips his arm. "Really? You're giving this to me?"

"Of course," Vergil says. "You're Eva's grandson. You should inherit her house."

"I don't know what to say." The money is gone, just like that; but that's okay, isn't it? In the end, they all got what they needed, and Nero smiles. "I'm happy for you guys," he says slowly. "I really am. And this… thank you." He looks over the deed one more time, his chest tightening a bit.

Kyrie kisses his cheek, pulling him out of his thoughts. "So what's with the briefcase?" he asks.

Dante grins and sits on the floor, laying it down to fiddle with the clasp. "Last of the money in here."

"Oh yeah?" Nero slides forward, wondering how much. Maybe a few thousand?

Instead, there are four Big Macs and a twenty-piece McNugget inside. "Celebratory dinner on us," Dante says happily.

He hands Vergil a sandwich before tossing one to Nero, which he looks down at in a mixture of amusement and confusion. "You guys really know how to live well," he laughs.

Dante pretends to "clink" his Big Mac with Kyrie's, and they dig into the meal when Nico appears at the door. "You guys still on your date?" she calls obnoxiously before gawking at them. "Hey! You got McDonald's and didn't tell me?" She plops down next to Dante, leaning over him to scoop up some nuggets. "Halloween was a week ago, you know," Nico jokes, eyeing his outfit.

"Hey, I make this look good," he says.

Nero laughs, listening to them argue and then team up together when Vergil jumps in. Kyrie leans against him and he puts his arm around her, giving her cheek a kiss. His eyes fall on the deed to the Sparda land as he smiles to himself. _Protect their family._ Yeah, absolutely.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you so much for reading! This was my first DMC story and I'm so happy and sad that it's all done. I really appreciate everyone who gave this fic a chance, and I hope you liked it!

I have more stuff in the works, including a fic about Vergil and one about Nero, Kyrie, and Credo in Fortuna. I'm also thinking of doing a sequel to this story, where the guys go and try to find out what happened to Sparda. So if you liked this story and want to see more, leave me a comment or an emoji, and check my profile for updates.

Last I want to thank my beta, copper_wasp, for doing such an amazing job, and my very dear friend, solynacea, for introducing me to DMC and being a cheerleader and inspiration!


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